While most of the nation is gripped in a deep freeze they apparently forgot to tell Texas since one of our past weekends it was in the 60′s. And what better thing than to do in January than go camping? Camping season in Texas is very short. Well, comfortable, camping season that is. It’s about 2 weeks in our “spring” and 2 weeks in our “fall.” The rest of the time the daily highs are around 90-100 and the night it barely goes to 80.
So, while I’m looking forward to taking the kids camping this spring I figure a fun way to spend the weekend and do a “test-run” of the event was to do a little backyard camping. That way I could see what they thought of the
"Roughing It"
whole thing, check out my gear and see if there was anything I should get for the “real” camping trip later. Once I told the kids what we were going to do I swear just about every other sentence was about going camping. I made sure to explain to them we weren’t actually going anywhere but as true children they didn’t really care. They specifically wanted to know if we’d have a fire to roast marshmallows to which I replied “duh,” (not really).
I setup the tent before the kids got home from school and organized the tiny grill as our campfire. Since most of the grass was completely dry I made sure that the grill was standing on some solid patio tiles to avoid it getting tipped over or spreading burning embers. I also kept a fire extinguisher and garden hose nearby, “just in case.”
Once I got them home I told them we needed to get our beds ready. They both went to their rooms, grabbed their favorite blankets and pillows and then staked out a corner of the tent. After that they started playing around in the backyard and on the swings. They wanted to play soccer but I vetoed that since the chances of a high-velocity, youth-size soccer ball hitting the small 12″ grill containing a pile of white-hot charcoal was about 100%.
Once the fire was going it was time for hot dogs. They loved getting to cook their own and we were quite successful in that PD was able to only steal one of them.
Fire!
As we ate the hot dogs Katie remembered that she needed to look good for her fans and that when you’re cool the sun never really sets.
Fashion Plate
After we ate the hot dogs I then showed the kids a strange clue that I found in the backyard that was part of a mystery we needed to solve (but that’s post for another time).
Good Times
After going on an adventure and solving the mystery it was time for the smores.
Mmmmmmmm....
Delicious!
After enjoying the smores I brought out Katie’s awesome telescope and we looked at the moon and a few stars. It was a perfect night of fun but it was finally it was time to get in the PJ’s and climb into the tent. They wanted to play their Nintendo DS’s, which I allowed even though they weren’t standard issue camping gear. They’ve been having so much fun and behaving so well I didn’t see a problem with it and couldn’t tell them no. They played their games for a little while and I read my book by lantern light.
PD really enjoyed the tent and blankets as well and was resting near all of us. The wind wasn’t too bad and was just enough to keep a good breeze going through the tent. My cedar allergies started bothering me a bit but it wasn’t anything unbearable and was definitely worth the trip. The night passed uneventfully and while we woke up entirely too early the next day it was a great time. I’m already looking forward to the next trip.
One of the things Santa brought the kids were new bikes. Both of them desperately needed upgrades and Katie received a stylin’ new bike with 18″ tires and training wheels while William got a flashy red bike with 20″ tires.
The New Rides
Well, turns out that the 20″ tires are just a shade too tall for him right now. He’ll grow into it in a few weeks or months but for right now it’s a tad, er, uncomfortable, when he tries to get on the bike. He can touch the ground with his feet but other parts of him are in contact with the bike. We had to have a couple practice sessions on how to get on the bike and I knew the next major problem was going to occur once we got started even though it hadn’t occurred to William yet. How to dismount when you come to a stop.
No Photos, Please
In my opinion there are few practical exercises in life like riding a bike that if you stop to consider it, it’s window into what you can expect from life in general. Sometimes you’re going to fall, it’s going to hurt and that’s OK. You could crash in front a bunch of your friends while trying to take your bike off some sweet jumps and look like a complete fool or knock the wind out of yourself so badly that you can’t help but cry. These things happen. It’s about understanding that sometimes things don’t turn out how you want but you don’t give up and you keep trying. I wanted to have this discussion with William but kept it at his level.
Me: “You know William, when you ride a bike sometimes you fall and get hurt, right?”
William: “Right.”
Me: “And if you do, is it OK to stop and cry?”
William: “Yes.”
Me: “What’s the important thing that we don’t want to do?”
William: “Give up.”
Me: “Right. That doesn’t mean you can’t stop and take a break if you need to or even try another day. But we don’t want to give up. Just keep trying.”
William: “Right.”
Me: “And what’s the reason we’re doing this anyway?”
William: “To have fun.”
William is an amazing young boy who is very bright, observant, and sensitive. We’ve had discussions like the one above a time or two before and he really does get it for being almost 7. I just know that being almost 7 we’re going to have a couple of bumps today on the way to the park. With the parenting talk out of the way it’s time to go have fun. During this discussion Katie has been packing her front bike pouch with the essentials for any bike ride, Hello Kitty, Strawberry Shortcake and 2 bottles of nail polish and she’s ready to get going.
I load up a small bag with some water, band-aids, camera and jackets in case they get cold and we’re off. Since Katie has training wheels she has the lecture that she’s allowed to go out ahead of us as long as she stays in sight and on the sidewalk. She listens extremely well which is good since I’m paying closer attention to William.
Shannon already taught William how to ride his bike a long time ago and he does it very well. It’s the new bike with the new height that’s an issue. We work together to get him mounted and he’s off. Knowing that the first stop is going to be somewhat painful depending on how he dismounts I literally run next to him the entire time. We break the trip to the park in small parts that allow Katie to go far ahead while staying in sight but let’s William practice riding.
Mounting The Bike
Each time he rides well but when he tries to dismount but doesn’t do it as well as he’d like. He’s harder on himself than anyone and several times when I give him honest (not parentally-baised) praise he’s not listening. At one point when he came to a stop he landed on both feet and I said how great he did he was upset. I just let him have his feelings and we move onto the park.
So at the park they immediately head to the monkey-bars and some kind of spinning circle device. I have no idea how it’s supposed to be used but they figure out that if one starts and drifts to the bottom then the other can jump on and they can spin. The bearings of this thing squeak badly and I make a mental note to pack WD-40 for next time so they can really get some velocity out of this thing.
Yin and Yang
After this they move to the monkey-bars. They both easily handle the side-to-side method but I ask them if they can do the harder way of swinging with your arms in front of you. Both tell me “No” but I tell them, “I bet you can. “ I show them by trying myself but don’t do that well. Just seeing me try seems to inspire them but in an uncommon but not unheard turn of events William decides to try first. Katie didn’t want to do it and firmly tells me so.
Me: “Katie, do you want to try and go across the monkey-bars the new way?”
Katie: “No, I can’t do it.”
Me: “Katie, we’re not supposed to say “can’t.” You haven’t tried it yet.”
Katie: “No, I don’t want to do it.”
Me: “OK, but I know that you can do it if you tried.”
Now while William was having some problems finding his confidence on his new bike none of that was present here. I stayed next to him in case he needed to drop but he didn’t. The first time through he made it and then I was able to get a video of his second time through.
Once Katie sees this she wants to try. She insisted that I had to hold her waist as she went through, which I did. She made it halfway and needed to drop down into my arms. She took about 20 seconds and then said, “I’m ready.” She then completed the other half of the monkey-bars.
At this point I think she’s done but then she immediately wants to go again and this time insists I don’t hold her. I think she’ll be able to do it so I get down at the other end and get the camera ready. I end up getting some great video of a girl who just turned 5 in August going through the monkey-bars.
So now William has conquered the monkey-bars and is ready to play a game. He wants to make up some kind of game and we come up with a game together. We end up calling it “Treasure Hunter” but that’s a post for another time.
It’s getting close to 5 and we need to head back because it’s going to get cold rapidly, they’re already tired and I need to get dinner going. So we head back and I stay close to William as he tries his bike again. The break has given him time to build up his confidence and when we leave the park via a twisty road I ask him if he wants to walk it out or ride it out. He says, “Ride it out.” (that’s my boy!) and so off he goes. Of course the poor boy doesn’t have luck on his side and he hits the only thing possible in the entire path.
What Are The Odds?
The park department has this post here because the cement path is pretty wide and some moron in a 4×4 could go tearing through there. But also they need to make sure that young boys on bikes can hit it and then knock the wind out of themselves and possible damage the family jewels as they come to an abrupt stop.
Well, he handles this setback better than I thought he would and we spend just a few minutes setting on Daddy’s lap as we let the pain ease. He was a little mad at me because when I saw this coming and tried to stop him he thought I was laughing at him. I tried to explain I wasn’t laughing but was warning him. Oh well. We get one more ride in and then most of the way back is me pushing the bike and him walking next to me talking about the multiple injuries he’s sustained and how this is the worse day ever. I just agree with him and don’t dispute it. “Yes, that does sound like it hurt.” “Yes, I can see how that would bother you.”
He’s eventually worked through his feelings enough that when we turn the last corner and can see our house I ask him, “Do you want to walk it home or ride it home?”
William: “I want to ride it home.”
Me: “That sounds like a good idea. You know you might make it home OK or you might fall down and get hurt again.”
William: “I know.”
Me: “What are you going to do if you get hurt?”
William: “I’ll be sad again.”
Me: “Well, it’s OK to feel sad and if you get hurt I’ll pick you up. So let’s go.”
And we make it home with him earning a 5.5 score on the dismount in the front yard. He was sad for a little bit but it wasn’t anything major. All in all it was a good time.
…and you catch more kitties with the Elefun game nets.
Aaah. The adventures of Kitty. Shehasbeenthroughalotwith our family. As I was picking Katie up from her very last day ever of Montessori School, (that brings a little tear to my eye) I saw that Daddy had let Katie take Kitty to school. Very early on when Katie was in the toddler room, Kitty got banned from Montessori School. It occurred to me that Kitty was the one constant for Katie through these past 3 years. She went to the first day of school… and the last.
At what point should I have Kitty bronzed? Or should I pack it away? Show her first boyfriend that comes over? Or maybe keep it to give her when she has a baby girl…
Why are bowling shoes so ugly? You would think some new fashion craze would take over the industry so we don’t feel like complete and utter dorkuses when we have to put on those shoes.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor. It’s one thing that has remained true through the years. Like you’re transported to the movie “Grease,” or you’re living with Cunninghams in “Happy Days.” Or maybe there’s some evil monopoly on bowling shoe manufacturing.
Either way, kids sure look cute in them. (Sorry for the blurry pic, it’s so dark in a bowling alley and my iPhone doesn’t have a flash.)
We got out all the ingredients (but then realized after taking the picture I had left a few out hehehe).
The kids whisked their jam so it would get nice and runny. Katie had grape. William had strawberry.
William got to measure the flour. Why do kids insist on tasting the flour? Ick.
Katie measured the baking powder.
Then she poured the oil into the yogurt.
Here are our wet and dry ingredients:
After we mixed them together, this is what the dough looked like:
It was kind of sticky, so I pretty much filled the tins. But then the kids helped me make the holes in each filled cup and they, all by themselves, put a spoonful of jam in each hole.
Then they decided to start mixing the jam flavors.
Next, Mommy topped with more muffin mix.
Ours didn’t look as good as the recipe’s picture, but hey.
Mmmmm… sprinkle with powdered sugar….
And EAT! They were so proud of their muffins. They were relatively healthy and pretty good, too!
Nasogastric intubation is no laughing matter. But when I saw Katie feeding her brother’s “moo-cow” a bottle, I did start laughing.
At first glance it looks cute… then you notice she’s shoving the bottle clear up the cow’s nostril. Poor moo-cow. What did he do that would require feedings via his nose?
Of course that got me thinking… I wonder if they make stuffed animals that show kids what NG Tubes do… Maybe Katie is gonna be a nurse when she grows up.
What is it about statues? Is it just an American thing? A tourist thing? I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s a learned thing. We seem to be born with it. “Hey. Check out those stone-carved people. Let’s go take a picture with them.” Maybe it is that they are so agreeable. No fussing about not wanting to pose or complaining about the heat or cold…
We took the kids to get their hair cut with Amanda. She has opened her own salon at a new location. The kids said they’d be good if I would promise to take their picture out front afterwards.
Katie got sick during our vacation in Santa Fe. It started on Sunday with a mild cough. I didn’t think anything of it as Katie and I had traveled 700 miles the day before and were both exhausted… plus the climate change between Austin and Santa Fe was drastic. The next two days she was fine and went to day camp..
Wednesday, she started losing her appetite. She went to camp and when I picked her up she had red cheeks. Again, I didn’t think much of it since both my kids tend to get red cheeks when they play hard. I took them swimming. While we were swimming, she kept asking to take a nap. In the pool. That should have clued me in that something was wrong for sure. We came home and I bathed her and that’s when I noticed her cheeks were rash-red. She didn’t eat, had 100 temp, got 1.5t Ibuprofen and went to bed at 6:45pm. This is when it all started:
Thursday: red, cracked lips, red cheeks, itchy back & arms, what looks like broken capillaries on neck (almost hicky like), tummy ache
6:00am, 100.4 temp, 1.5t Ibuprofen
11:45am, 99.9 temp, 1.5t Ibuprofen
2:45pm, 99.3 temp, 1.5t Tylenol
5:45pm, 100.7 temp, 1.5t Ibuprofen
6:45pm, 1.5t Tylenol
Friday: neck ache, tummy ache, headache, feet & hands hurt, still red cracked lips, red cheeks, red/purple dots on neck that don’t seem rash-like… now complaining of armpits hurting
5:10am 101.8 temp, 1.5t Ibuprofen
5:30am 1.5t Tylenol
I wouldn’t normally give her this much in the way of meds for the fever… we tend to let the fever run its course. But she is complaining of pain. So I’m trying to help her get comfortable. Her appetite came back, which was one good thing. The first thing that came to mind for me was Fifths Disease. Since that’s a virus and there’s really anything that can be done, I just kept her comfortable with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. But her symptoms started getting worse and I became concerned about Kawasaki’s Disease. I know doctors (and husbands) hate when we consult Dr. Google, but I also know the medical care in Santa Fe is not top notch and I wasn’t sure if I should take her in or not. And of course, we were headed into a holiday weekend.
I looked-up Doctors in Santa Fe that take Aetna and my mom called her friends who have had to take grandchildren to medical facilities during their stays to ask for opinions. I e-mailed our most awesome Pediatrician as well. His staff was positively fabulous.
You can’t really see in my phone’s camera shots just how miserable she looked… especially since she sees a camera and automatically thinks she needs to smile. But her cheeks looked as if someone had slapped them both.
The broken capillary look on her neck I could have explained away had she been hacking up her lungs or vomitting, but she only had a mild cough… and she ended up getting pin-dot rash all over her stomach.
My mom and I ended up taking her to the Urgent Care. Waiting at the ER, we were told, would have been positively nightmarish and no Doctor would see her since she wasn’t an existing patient. Of course they didn’t open until 10am and we were there at 9:30am. A line started forming outside, and it was drizzling, which made it cold. But we didn’t want to get stuck being 15th in line if several more sicklies showed up, so we stood outside for 10 minutes. Once we were let in (5 minutes late), we signed in and the nurse told us it would be awhile as the doctor had called and said she was running late. Gee. Great. “If you need to be seen quickly, please go across the street to the hospital ER.” No one left. Luckily the doctor wasn’t too terribly late… just 30 minutes.
This place was not so bad looking on the outside, but definitely rundown on the inside. And the patient rooms… omg. We are so spoiled here in the great Austin, TX! They took her temperature (of course this was the first time she had no fever) and vitals. They decided to do a throat culture to test for strep. The male nurse was so proud of himself because he tricked her and snuck the long q-tips down her throat. She was PISSED OFF at that! I had to practically beg them to feel her lymphnodes. What kind of place is this? She had a slightly swollen lymphnode under her left armpit. They said her belly felt good and sounded good. They would not do any bloodwork. They sent us away saying it was just a virus and the busted capillaries were probably from excessive crying, but I could call if she got worse. We took Katie for ice cream… which again, of course, we had to wait 30 minutes for it to open.
I ended up taking Katie back to the Urgent Care later in the day when her rash got worse. It was so stupid. I called and asked if I should just give her Benadryl. I spoke directly to the doctor. She said to come on in so she could give the proper dose. I thought that meant she was going to actually GIVE Katie the dose. No, we went all the way out there so she could write me a prescription for an over-the-counter drug. I’m not an idiot. I could’ve done that myself at the grocery store closest to my parent’s house. Oh well.
Just to wrap things up, Katie ended up getting better. No telling what it was… maybe it was, in fact, Fifths. She miraculously got better the day before we were to drive home. I am thankful I didn’t have to drive a sick child 700 miles. That would have been miserable.
You know how certain things can happen and a song will just pop into your head? A social situation, a scenic setting, a conversation… maybe it’s just me. I pay attention to lyrics almost to a fault. Chris can enjoy a song simply for its melody or beat. I invariably pay attention to the lyrics. “Ya, I guess I like the song, but do you know what they just SAID??? That ruined it for me.”
OK, so that’s not really what this is about.
I love, love, love looking through photos. I am a photo-aholic. It’s theraputic to me to take a brain break at work and flip through my photos on my iPhone. Everytime I see this picture, I hear the song “Reunited”:
William had been in Santa Fe, NM with my parents since the first weekend in June when school let out. We enjoyed giving Katie the “only-child-treatment” for 3 weeks, but we all missed William very much. When Katie and I finally went out to Santa Fe for vacation, Katie was like white on rice with William. This picture was taken the first morning we were there. Aaaah. They were so happy. Maybe instead of calling them “The Girl” and “The Boy,” I will start calling them “Peaches” and “Herb.” HA!
Katie isn’t to the point yet where she can write down her feelings in a card to her Daddy to express her undying love for him. She, however, is very good at drawing the things she loves. We’re working on the writing part… but, hey! She’s not even in Kindergarten yet.
She’s got copying (or “coffeeing” as she calls it) down pat. I wrote “Happy Fathers Day!” on a post-it note for her so she could make her Daddy a card. This is what she came up with:
Where’d the “W” come from? Is she so used to William writing things that end with his signature that she started to write it too? What I really don’t know about is the random string of letters at the bottom left. I searched high and low to figure out what she was coffeeing to get that. I believe the drawing is a self-portrait.
One, however, was not enough. Daddy is ULTRA special, dontchya know!!
We have gone through several versions of her spelling her own name. From KA♥, to Kade, to Kate, to Katie. I’m guessing she wants a Nintendo DS now?? Any thoughts on her drawings? My translation of the drawing on the right is a rocket ship that blasts up to a bubblegum machine topped by the American Flag. It is, after all, in her eyes, Daddy’s flag.
