Russ 'n Em 'n Kids: February 2014

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Sunday Updates

This week started with a four day weekend. Yes, a four-day weekend in February in the Rockies...where you can do nothing unless you can take your young kids skiing on a holiday weekend (Death wish). Everyone has cabin fever. Everything is too cold outside. And everyone is BORED! So a friend and I decided to take the train downtown and visit the planetarium and playland at the mall. The kids had a blast at the planetarium running around the Martian and moonscapes.

Unfortunately after awhile Savannah was done. And tired. While waiting for the train to take us to the playland she kept complaining about being cold. It was very windy and she was very tired so I didn't worry, tried to comfort her, and we moved on. We went to the playland. We got lunch we explored some fountains. It was a long fun day. By the time we got home Savannah crashed on the couch.....only to wake up with a fever of 103. Yup, this mother-of-the-year dragged her poor 5-year-old around the city all day with a raging fever. Poor kid.

The saddest part for Savannah is that her fever was still high two days later and she missed out on the special father-daughter symphony that she and Abbie got for Valentine's Day. It was a Harry Potter night (Abbie's latest craze.) Abbie got to dress up fancy, go to Olive Garden for dinner, (I know....I know) and then off to symphony hall. She, Russ, and her friend Hazel had a blast.

Thankfully, Savannah is going to go next month to a daytime children's symphony about dinosaurs, so I think it will work out in the end. I love that we live in a city where it is as cheap to take your kids to the symphony as it is to take them to a movie theater.

The best part of our week was that my brother Britton, came home for a visit from Australia. We haven't seen him since last summer and he is a favorite of all of his nieces and nephew. We spent the day with him and he endured climbing, teasing, and tickling like any good uncle should. We miss him a lot, but had a great time catching up.

Nathan is now banned by doctor and dentist....and reluctant parents, from taking a sippy cup of milk to bed. This has been going on for ten days. Ten long days. And ten long nights. I have learned not only that he loves his sippy cup, but also that he is one determined child. Today at the 'Uncle Britton Fest' he climbed out of the pack-and-play rather than take a sippy-less nap.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Nathan Updates

Nathan has probably changed the most in the last year. He is walking, nay running, everywhere. He loves to be outside, which makes things a little difficult in February. He has also developed quite the vocabulary which include mom, dad, grandpa (which he applies to both grandma's and grandpa's alike) doggie, kitties, ball, car (his second favorite), airplane (his favorite), sippy, book, bed, pants..etc. Also Babbie and Bean (his names for Abbie and Savannah) are two of his favorite words to say lately, and he calls them repeatedly whenever he has anything exciting to show them. His language has really just shot off in the last few months. Nathan loves anything with an engine. He got a set of Chevron cars for Christmas that have been more successful than any gift we've every given any of our children. (And it was a gift from the neighbor.) He loves airplanes and can spot the tiniest speck in the sky and it causes him a great deal of joy. Also causing ecstatic joy are trucks, construction equipment, any animal that moves, boats, and vehicles with sirens or extra equipment on it, and anything with wheels. He is almost always happy, except when he isn't, and just has such infectious joy coming out of him.

Savannah Updates

It is hard to believe how much Savannah has grown up since starting kindergarten. She is in a class of almost all boys, with just a few girls so she has developed a real ability not only to play with boys, but to show appropriate disgust for their antics. Savannah has started playing the piano this year with the Let's Play Music program. She has started playing chords, and transitioning from one chord to another, reading notes and is just starting to play scales. She is such a hard worker, and when faced with something challenging, she is determined to conquer it. Savannah has already figured out that it is better to do the hard things first to get them over with, and finish off with the easy things. Savannah has been taking gymnastics this year. She has really made leaps and bounds in learning to cart-wheel and working on head stands. Savannah is social and is always telling me, "I like to play with people, mom, not toys." Savannah has really progressed in reading these last seven months and just this week she read all of Green Eggs and Ham by herself. Super props!

Abbie Updates

Abbie has grown up so much this last year. While still not loving to be the center of attention, she is a total comedian with her friends and family. She is excelling at the piano and seems to have a natural gift of being able to pick out melodies. She was especially brave last month as she participated in her first piano recital. It was especially fun for me, because I got to play two duets with her. She has been taking an art class that has helped her learn different mediums and learn some of the details of painting and sketching. It has always been in her, but it never ceases to surprise me how much artistic drive is in her soul. She has been singing in the school choir, Owl Chorale, and just about everywhere else. She loves to belt out whatever song is on her mind, most recently it has been songs from the Disney movie Frozen. She has also jumped in her reading this year and has become a die-hard fan of Harry Potter. She is super responsible and kind to those around her and a great help to me. She is such a joy in all of our lives.