Rainy days, sunny days

Last month, we had a lot of rainy days. Now it's starting to get pretty hot.  With more diverse weather than usual, we have had the chance to do lots of fun things.


One rainy afternoon, we headed down to a place called Foodie Kids, where Hazel and I hung out with a bunch of other kids while we each decorated a cupcake. We picked out colors for our icing and chose things to put on top of the treat, then we had at it! We finished up by eating our creations. I really like to cook, and this was right up my alley. Mom could tell I was really into it. I answered all the questions the lady asked me and really followed instructions. I hope we can go back again soon.



I was still in school every day back then, and one day while I was there, Mom took Hazel and Turner to a bookstore downtown for a program called Tiny Tails to You. A couple of ladies had a petting zoo in a room in the bookstore. After listening to a few stories about animals, Mom, Hazel, Turner and all the other moms and kids went into a little fenced in area where they could hold and look at lots of animals including bunnies, a tortoise, a bearded dragon, a hedgehog and guinea pigs. Hazel held a baby bunny. Mom held one too, and Turner tried to grab it. After that, they worked on a craft. Hazel made a bunny out of scraps of paper! The whole thing was perfect for Hazel, who loves bunnies and even goes around most of the time pretending she is a baby bunny.


Mom, Hazel and Turner have also been spending a lot of time at the library lately going to toddler story time. They go two days a week and really enjoy the lady who leads it on Fridays. She brings an autoharp and really seems to enjoy spending time with children. I am excited that I'll be able to join them at library story time this summer, when I will only go to school two mornings a week. More on that later this week.


My Sportball class wrapped up last month. After four weeks of soccer, we'd switched to four weeks of t-ball, which no one -- including the instructor, who said it's harder to keep kids' attention during t-ball -- liked as much. I am going to take a break from sports for a little while. Maybe I will try again in the fall, along with Hazel, who really wants to do it.


Our swim classes at the Y are also over, and we started with a new guy, Bananahead last Thursday. I am not excited about swim lessons, but Hazel likes it and Mom and Dad say it's important to learn to swim. So we're sticking with it.

Memorial Day weekend kicked off summer, and we did it in a big way. The weather was good and we went to the pool, played in the sprinkler in our yard, went to two parties, had lots of meals outside (including grilling at our house), ate yummy summer foods like corn on the cob and watermelon, and generally enjoyed the time together. Dad said it was hard to be back at work after all our fun.

Mom has also taken us to a couple of splash parks since summer began. We went to Champion Park one afternoon last week and Quarry Splash Pad with Vishnu one morning. We also visited Brush Creek Park's splash pad over the weekend. Our outings were fun, and gave us another chance to eat al fresco, which I have announced is one of my favorite things to do.
 
Speaking of Vishnu, I've been spending a lot of time meeting up with friends at the playground. We've also been meeting up with Zhenya a lot, and even took her to one of our favorite places, the banana stand! The other day, I asked Mom why Zhenya can't always be with us.

Turner has been up to some new tricks. He has started making a car sound when he plays with cars and we suspect he has imitated some of our words, like "pinata." The other day when looking in the mirror, he yelled, "Hey!" 

One of our friends, who is sick, wrote this (abridged) story about him in her blog. Mom said it was pretty amazing when it happened, and we're proud of Turner for helping our friend feel a little better.

One of my friends came by to drop off some food with her one-year-old the other day. I was thanking her and holding her hand when I got a little emotional.  As we were holding hands, her sweet little 1 year old reached down and joined his hand with ours.  He was very intentional, he didn't want to let go.  How sweet that he knew the love that we were sharing and just wanted to be a part of that. Isn't it when we go through the "desert" when we become so much more aware of these little blessings that God surrounds us with?  I hope that I never again lose sight of these many blessings once I am out of the desert. 

Click here for photos from the last month.

A visit with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Ryan

May was so crazy busy, by the time my parents could sit down to help me write this, we were all too tired to do it. So we're a little behind.

The biggest thing that happened in May was an end-of-the-month visit from Aunt Lauren and Uncle Ryan. They were here for a whole week!

Aunt Lauren and Uncle Ryan's flight came in at night, after we went to bed. I knew they'd be here when I got up, and I was super excited to see therm, so I went down to wake them up. Hazel argued with me that 6:45 was too early and the sun wasn't out yet, but I told them all it was time to start the day.

Dad thinks the funniest part of this was that Hazel was yelling at me, right by their bed at full volume, not to wake them up. Whatever, it was my job to wake them up and I did it really well every day.

They had a list of things they wanted to do in Austin and we showed them some of our favorite haunts.

One thing we focused on was food. We took them to (or at least told them about) some of the best restaurants in Austin.

We had brunch at Kerbey Lane, lunched at some food trailers on South First (including the best one of all, Bananarchy), and had delicious food from the can't miss Chuy's and Rudy's, just to name a few.

Mom and Dad had a chance to escape with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Ryan a couple of times during the visit. They played a lot of games and just hung out a few nights, which Mom and Dad really liked.

One night Mom met up with them downtown at the Continental Club, where they watched Toni Price belt out some tunes. Rumor has it, they hit Amy's Ice Cream afterwards, but that was after my bedtime, so I can't verify the story.

Turner's teacher, Miss Kimberly, came over to stay with us one evening while Mom and Dad both went out with them to Hula Hut, Mozart's and the Drought House. We like Miss Kimberly a lot. She stayed with Hazel and me when Turner was born.

Saturday was the best day of all. Mom, Hazel, Turner and I went to San Antonio with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Ryan to show them the Children's Museum, the Alamo and the Riverwalk.

We had a really good time. We had so much fun, I had to ask to leave the museum when I'd had enough. When we got back to Austin, we hit Central Market and ended the visit with a night of grilling great food.

We were all sad to see them head off Sunday morning and hope they aren't too tired to come back again soon.

Click here for photos from our visit.

Hazel says hi

Ouch!

We've had a wild and busy week.

A few years ago, when I was about a year and a half old, I had a red dot on my jawline. It caught on my jacket one day and bled everywhere. Well, it must run in the family, because a few months ago Hazel started getting one too.  Before it caught on something like mine did, she had it removed on Friday.

Hazel had to be at the hospital at 8 in the morning, so Dad stayed with Turner and me until we were both at school, then he joined Mom and Hazel at the hospital.

After Hazel was checked in and the nurses explained to Hazel what would happen, a nurse gave Mom a little medicine to give Hazel, which made Hazel super sleepy. She was so sleepy she wasn't allowed to walk. She had to just sit in Mom's arms. Kids were riding tricycles in the hallway and Hazel mumbled, "They're fast. I'm going to catch them," but when she tried to chase them, she could only move her leg an inch.

When the nurse took Hazel back to the operating room, Hazel was so relaxed, she didn't mind at all. They gave her some strawberry air through a funny mask, and the next thing Hazel knew, she was waking up to rainbow popsicles and Mom and Dad smiling at her. She found that she now had an IV in her hand, and didn't like that, but otherwise it was all smooth sailing. Once the anesthesia wore off, Mom and Dad couldn't keep her down. Just a couple of hours afterward, Hazel was trying to do somersaults all over her bedroom.

Turner had a really rough weekend. He cried a lot, had a really tough time sleeping and woke up Sunday morning with pink eye. Mom and Dad figured he had another ear infection and the pediatrician confirmed Monday morning that he did, his sixth since January 30! So, Tuesday we all went to an ENT's office.

It was a pretty fun trip for Hazel and me. While we were waiting in the office lobby on the third floor, there was a man outside the window, hanging from the roof and washing the window.  Hazel and I thought that was pretty cool.  When we went to the doctors office, I liked looking at all of the pictures of ears he had on the walls.  Mom brought snacks for Hazel and me, so were pretty quiet and calm during the appointment.

The ENT told us that Turner needed tubes in his ears, and scheduled an appointment for the very next morning.

Bright and early Wednesday morning -- he had to be there by 6am -- Mom and Turner went back to the hospital, across the street from where Hazel went Friday. Turner's procedure was so fast, they didn't use an IV or even put him in a gown. He had the same sleepy air Hazel had and was back in Mom's arms in 20 minutes. They were home by 8am!

Later, that afternoon, we went back to that same building for Hazel's follow-up appointment with her doctor from Friday. Mom joked that she could have just waited there in between. Evidently, Hazel wasn't in the mood to see the doctor because as soon as we stepped into the waiting room, she backed into a corner and started screaming her head off. The good news is, while we usually spend a long time waiting to see doctors, they ended up rushing us through the appointment to get us out of there! They said Hazel has to always wear a hat and wear sunscreen once a day when she's outside for the next year or so, but her incision is healing.

Finally, it was time for some fun Wednesday afternoon. Hazel and I started swim lessons. Hazel did a great job, but thought it was kind of loud there. I am going to try to pay better attention in our next class. Until then, we're going to try to get to the pool this weekend so we can get a little more comfortable in the water.

In addition to swimming, we exercised a lot this week. Before school a couple of days, we took long walks and Mom gave me some tips to help me run faster. Today Hazel and I rode our bikes in the parking lot. Hazel pedaled her tricycle and I tried riding my bike. I hope to practice a lot so I can get better.

My best friend in the world is Duck. When I was really little, Mom and Dad were afraid I'd lose Duck, so they got a few backups. I wised up to it and now hang out with all four of them! Thursday night I told Mom today is Duck's birthday. She thought it was all four Ducks' birthday, but it was just one of them, and I had to keep reminding her which one.

Friday when I came home from school, it was time to celebrate. Mom and I made a banana cake, then we sang and Duck wore a birthday hat. I told Mom Duck is 6, one of the Duck's birthdays is in November, another in December and another will be when I'm 7. It was really fun.

Hazel's latest stats

Hazel went to the doctor today for her 3 year well visit.  The good news is that she's healthy.  Unfortunately, she was also a little afraid of getting a shot, which she ended up not needing anyway.  We'll keep working with her on that.

She's 35 inches tall (10th percentile) and 28 pounds (25th percentile).  You can see her growth chart here or at the chart on the right side.

Happy Birthday, Hazelnut!

This was a pretty exciting week.  Hazel's birthday was Wednesday and Mommy's birthday was Thursday. Then we had Hazel's big birthday party Saturday evening. To help us celebrate, Bubbe came to visit from Atlanta. It was quite a week!

Wednesday morning, we woke up singing "Happy Birthday" to Hazel.  I gave her my gift, a shaving set for the bathtub, and we took a ride on our new patio swing. She really liked it. She liked it even better when she headed to school with about three dozen chocolate cupcakes Mom made the night before to share with her friends and teachers at school.

When I came home from school, we went straight to the airport to pick up Bubbe.  She brought lots of presents.  She gave Daddy some Krystal's.  She brought Mom some special food from Trader Joe's.  She gave me a new "X is for Xenops" shirt.  And she gave Hazel a crazy fun birthday hat with candles on top!  

For Hazel's birthday dinner, we went to EZ's.  Hazel wanted to go there because they have yummy milk-shakes.We finished the meal with more cupcakes before heading home to open lots of birthday presents.

Thursday we woke Mom up by singing "Happy Birthday" to her.  She was very proud of us.  Bubbe played with us while Mom got a facial and Dad went to work.  Bubbe did lots of crafts with us - we made animal masks out of foam and cardboard, played with play dough, and played outside.  Bubbe showed us new ways to blow bubbles.  She also walked me to and from school.  In the afternoon, Mom and Bubbe took us kids to Banarchy for delicious chocolate covered frozen bananas.  Yum!  Since it was Mom's birthday, we all went to Waterloo for dinner and we played outside.  Mom brought chocolate cake for dessert!  Mom also got lots of fun presents.

On Friday, Bubbe played with us inside for most of the day because it was kind of dreary and cloudy outside.  She took us shopping at Kohl's.  We went for Thai food for dinner.  I wasn't quite brave enough to try much, but Hazel enjoyed the noodles, and Turner really liked looking at the beautiful decorative water fountains they had there.  He was really mesmerized by it.  I kept trying to figure out how it worked.  I also picked some honeysuckles. They smell really nice.

Saturday was a big day.  We had a birthday party for Hazel.  We wanted to give Mom time to get ready for  the party, so Bubbe and Dad took us kids out all day.  

First we went to the park where I have my soccer class.  We got there very early so we could play for a while before class.   We swung on the swings and looked for roly-polys. I've been learning all about insects the past two weeks in school, so I am really interested in them.  The we had a nice picnic lunch.  We played on the playground where I met a girl about my age and we shared an interesting conversation about insects.

Finally, it was time for my soccer class, but I got a surprise - we now do tee-ball instead!  Dad brought a glove for me, and I got to practice catching, throwing, batting, and running the bases.  It was all a new experience, so I'm sure I'll get better at it next week.

After class, we still had more time before the party, so we drove back to Bananarchy for more frozen bananas.  Turner, Hazel and I fell asleep in the car on the way down and had a great nap.  We grabbed a quick frozen banana and headed back to our house, where Mom had set up a fantastic birthday party for Hazel.

When Mom asked Hazel what kind of cake she should make for her birthday, Hazel told her she wanted a blue dinosaur cake from Costco. So that is what Mom gave her. Mom also set up the bounce house in the backyard, as well as lots of bubble machines and other toys.

Lots of kids came over, including a bunch of our neighbors and friends.  It was a cool, breezy day, perfect for a party outside.

When the time came, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Hazel, she blew her candles out, and we all had cake and home-made ice cream, which we had a lot of fun making. 

It was a fun party, and we thought Hazel would take a while to open all of her presents.  To our surprise, she ripped through them in no time, screaming "Wow! Whoa!" each time she opened one.  It was very fun.

Sunday, the weather was very nice again.  Mom went to get a massage, and Bubbe took us with Dad while he gave blood.   We like going with Dad when he does that because they have yummy snacks.  We came home for a quick lunch, and then Dad and Bubbe took us back out to the park while Mom caught a quick snooze.  Then we went to Rudy's for dinner for Bubbe's last night.  It was great having Bubbe here.  Hazel and I told her how much we'll miss her.

Turner has picked up some new tricks this week.  He learned how to use a sippy cup.  He's so happy that he can now quench his thirst himself.  He's also been babbling a lot more.  We like listening to him express himself.

 To see photos from the past few weeks, click here.

For a cute video of Turner and Hazel on the swings at the park, click here.

April Fools (2012)

Our weather has been perfect lately -- sunny and in the 80s -- so we've been outside every moment we can. Basically we come in to bathe and sleep. We even eat al fresco sometimes.

Mom is done with our garden, so I've been digging in our yard to get my dirt fix. We've been reading a lot of Frog and Toad lately, and one of my favorite stories is "The Garden."

Meanwhile, Mom has been spending time in our hammock. Sometimes we all get in. I really love it too. Today I climbed in with Duck.

I've been trying to figure out how to ride my bike and all three of us, plus our friends, have been jumping in our bounce house.

Sunday we joined our neighborhood egg hunt. Before we went, Mom lectured us about hogging all the eggs and leaving some for other kids but she didn't need to worry. Every time Hazel and I picked up an egg, we opened it and tried to unwrap the candy, so at that pace, we each found about three eggs. We mostly had fun because we met up with two of my friends from school and we will have lots of chances to find more eggs. Hazel had an egg hunt and party at school today and I have one tomorrow.

How many kids can you fit in a tub at once?

We've been eating a lot of smoothies lately too. They just keep getting better and better. Every time I have one, I tell Mom, "This is the best smoothie I've ever had." We've only had one reject -- only Turner liked it, and it had beets in it.

Look at lots of photos of our fun here.