Kennequa's Soapbox

Mr. Cat

2012-02-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

Wondering what we do all day? Are you wondering how to win Alex's affection?
Come on over and she will assign you a character to be. (In this picture, I was Mr. Cat, the teacher.)
Then she comes up with a plot, some conflict in the story, and there is never really an ending (genius on her part). She can do this type of activity ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T14:35:00.001-08:00

Skiddamarink-a-dink-a-dink...
The best part of Valentines Day? CANDY.

The "pickers"

2012-02-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

This was the best picture I could get.

The Cousins

2012-02-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a picture of 3 unwilling subjects?

Beautiful day in Colorado

2012-02-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

We got 18 inches of snow!

"Bobby" the cat

2012-02-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

The kitty costume reappeared! Great. Now it's winter, and Alex has far outgrown her kitty costume fit for 18-24 months. It's not so bad getting it on, the trouble lies in taking it off.

Best. Day. Ever.

2012-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Best. Day. Ever. The Cassowaries are finally out of time out. We began the day with a conversation with Guest Services. I wish I would have had this on video. Alex looked at the woman and said, "I have 2 questions for you. Can we see the Cassowaries today? And, does the Okapi have a baby in her tummy?"
The lady made a couple phone calls, and the she simply said, "...today is your lucky day!"

Hello kitty

2012-01-31T08:25:00.000-08:00

Alex wanted to bring the Savanna Stalker home with us.

Little Nala

2012-01-31T08:24:00.000-08:00

Crouching like a lion.

Poor Finley

2012-01-19T03:39:00.001-08:00

Our dog cut her paw yesterday, so we wrapped it in a towel to keep it clean. Now all of Alex's stuffed dogs have wraps on their legs too.

Nature and Science Museum

2012-01-19T03:38:00.000-08:00

Alex loves the stuffed Mammoths. The next exhibit that will be at the Museum will be, snakes and lizards!

Chickens

2012-01-18T20:57:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Alex came with me to my Doctor's appointment yesterday. Alex was very curious about how they were going to get blood out of my arm, then she and mommy chickened out at the last minute.

Tough kids

2012-01-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

These 3 kids are tough. Meet Melissa and Ryan. All 3 of them have endured numerous bouts of strep, followed by surgery. They were such a huge help to us for the last year!

Chuckee Cheese

2012-01-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited trip to Chuckee Cheese finally happened!
For 2 VERY long weeks, while Alex was recovering from her Tonsillectomy, all she wanted to do was go to Chuckee Cheese with her friends Melissa and Ryan (fellow tonsillectomy friends).
Our friend Melanie came along, with her dog in training, Phoenix. Alex felt very proud to be walking Phoenix.

Preschool Juniors

2012-01-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Alex's favorite activity at school is the Carpenter station. She hammers a golf tee, into a piece of styrofoam. SHE DID THIS FOR 2 FULL HOURS.
Next year she will be going to Preschool (this year she is in Preschool Juniors) 2 days a week from 9-1.
While that seems like a really long day for her (and me), she is ready, and she will do great!
On another note, we have hired a Nanny to come to the house to take care of Alex while BFF and I are at work. She has proven to be fantastic. She brings along her 10 month old little boy, who LOVES Alex!

giving thanks

2012-01-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

I can't even tell you how different life is since the tonsillectomy. Alex is thriving in every way! She is doing GREAT in school (this is coming from her teacher), she is doing great with sharing, she is eating, she is jumping and climbing, she is sleeping without diapers, she is eating foods that she never used to eat, and overall, she is much much happier.
She gets the "normal" sicknesses like colds, and stomach bugs, but then they go away. They don't turn into strep! We are just so proud, and so thankful!

Alex brought her stuffed Cassowary to the Zoo today. Unfortunately, we couldn't see the real ones because they are still in "time out". We are currently constructing a letter to the Zoo regarding their living situation, and wondering if the Okapi is pregnant.

2012-01-04T15:29:00.001-08:00

Sledding with Mommy

2011-12-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas has been fantastic! Santa delivered the Chipettes and he ate all of his Candycorns and M&M's that Alex left for him. I included a picture of our dog, Finley, because she also had a great Christmas.

Tops N Tights

2011-12-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

Uncle Travis and Aunt Karen came by to deliver Alex's present of "Tops N Tights".

Dinosaur puzzle

2011-12-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas puzzles with Grandma and Sussa.

Best presents ever!

2011-12-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

Santa brought a Cassowary family!!! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

People are nuts. This little house is famous for their Christmas decorations each year.
I woke Alex up, out of a dead sleep in the car, to this crazy scene. She was sooooo excited. There were a bunch of creepy dolls in those boxes from the 1940's. (There was also a donation box to help with their energy bill.)

Hot tubbing

2011-12-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

Hot tubbing after a day of sledding...
Alex made a snowball and put her apple juice in it for a refreshing beverage while soaking up the hot tub goodness.

Snow days

2011-12-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

We have been playing in the snow A LOT the last few days. We have been sledding, building snowmen, constructing tunnels, and having snowball fights. Being a kid is the best ever!

Finally, a proper haircut

2011-12-24T19:13:00.000-08:00

Alex went to a REAL salon the other day for a proper haircut. She didn't love it, but her hair is so stinkin cute!

Let's bake some cookies!!!

2011-12-21T12:51:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it!

2011-12-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

Don't adjust your eyes, WE ARE ACTUALLY RIDING AN ELEPHANT!!!!!!!
You can see from the enormous crowd in the stands, just how popular this circus was.
The Carnies were real pushy, but we had a great time.

Look! Reindeer poopie!

2011-12-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

First thing Alex says every morning, "Is this the part where Santa comes?"
It's going to be a long couple of weeks.

The good news is, Santa's Reindeer came to our house last night (as shown by poop).
The bad news is, Santa didn't leave any presents. (This bad news had Alex hysterically crying in our driveway for about 10 minutes.)

"In a purfect wurld..."

2011-12-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

Introducing:
LOVE WILL FIND A WAY
Credits:
Alex..........Alex, as herself
Crazy-haired Mailman..........Alex's Left Hand
Rasta Man..........Alex's Right Hand

"Tigers love pepper, they hate cinnamon."

2011-12-08T13:24:00.001-08:00

So that is a REAL LIVE TIGER swimming right in front of Alex. Do you see how underimpressed she is? The Employees of the Aquarium were gathered around telling us how RARE it is for one of the tigers to be swimming!!! It was so cool.
Alex was only interested in the Macaw that was in the next exhibit...crazy kid.
She is doing so great by the way. She is happy and hungry! I cannot believe what a change this tonsillectomy has made on her countenance, simply amazing.

Ralph versus Santa, the showdown

2011-12-08T13:18:00.001-08:00

Santa is a real popular guy in our house these days, but he still doesn't compare to Ralph, the mailman.

A conversation between Mommy and Alex:

Alex: "For Christmas, I want a Scooby, Velma, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, and a baby cassowary."
Mommy: "You need to ask Santa for those gifts."
Alex: Closes her eyes real tight, puts her hands together, and begins whispering gift ideas.
Mommy: "Are you praying to Santa, or are you praying to God?"
Alex: "I'm praying to Ralph."

Batgirl is back in gymnastics

2011-12-01T19:45:00.001-08:00

Check out that form...sweet huh?

Cheers!

2011-12-01T19:26:00.001-08:00

Batgirl is feeling much better, thank you for the kind words and thoughts. She had a bit of bad luck, and caught a nasty cold 2 weeks after her surgery. We had a follow up with the Surgeon yesterday, and other than a bad cough, everything looks good. Slowly, we are integrating "normal" activities back into her life. We signed her up for gymnastics, and next month we will do music. She is eating like crazy, which the Doctor says that it is common for kids for go through a big growth spurt after they recover from a tonsillectomy. She is back up to her fighting weight (same weight as before surgery), and she is growing out of her pants!!! It is so great to see her actually hungry. She really has not had a good appetite for at least a year. Lots of lessons learned the last 3 weeks, but mostly, we are thankful that we are all healthy again!!!!
Cheers to a GREAT Christmas!

Hey little boy!

2011-11-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

This is the "You better give me back my stuffed Mammoth" face.

School and friends!

2011-11-22T11:13:00.001-08:00

Back to the grind at school. Day by day, Alex is getting better (and boy is she ever hungry!).

Spidey is at it again

2011-11-18T06:52:00.001-08:00

I just got out of the shower and found Spiderman eating her cupcake in the kitchen. It's 7am.

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Day 9, not so bad...

2011-11-17T20:19:00.001-08:00

Just a quick update to let you all know that each day, Alex is getting a little bit better. We actually left the house, for the first time yesterday, and it was fantastic. We just hung out at the mall for about an hour, but it helped our spirits to feel like normal human beings. She spent the entire day today either in her Batgirl costume, or her Spiderman costume, so she's getting her mojo back!!!
She doesn't require nearly as much painkillers as she did a couple of days ago, and she's eating like a High School Football player. In the morning, I can't seem to make her breakfast fast enough (this morning it was buttered noodles with a cup of yogurt and some water).
Life should be back to normal in a few more days, and as a reward, Alex wants to go to Chuckee Cheese with her friend Melissa (she also had her tonsils out a few months ago and has been a HUGE support to us over the last 2 weeks).
Thanks for all the love...
Mama and Mommy

Day 8 of Tonsil Hell

2011-11-16T07:22:00.001-08:00

In case you were wondering, we are still in "Tonsil Hell".
A few hours after my post on Friday, we went back to the Hospital for dehydration, where we were admitted overnight. The details of that Hospital visit I will spare you, because I don't want to relive it.
We are now beginning day 8 of Tonsil Hell. Our biggest struggle right now is getting Alex to take her medications. #1 for PAIN CONTROL, #2 to fight infection. These are to be given EVERY 4 HOURS.
EVERY. FOUR. HOURS.
The first few days we literally wrestled her down, jammed the syringe into her mouth and hoped that SOME of the medicine made it in. Well, since day 4, that technique has not worked AT ALL.
We have since tried mixing it with various liquids to get it in her pie hole.
The confusing part of this whole thing, is that Alex has never said that she is in pain. So there's always this doubt in the back of my head, that all of this torture is for nothing. The only real signs of pain that she exhibits now is that she furrows her brows, and she will refuse to drink water. But like I said, the real trick is getting her to actually ingest the meds.
Today we begin day 8 of Tonsil Hell with a refrigerator full of Hydrocodone Jello Shots, genius I think, but I know that it may exclude me from a "Mother of the Year Award".

We have been playing a lot of Doctor. Yesterday Alex and I were sitting together, and she pointed her finger at me and said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to get something that hurts A LOT!"
She came back, wearing her doctor costume and carrying 2 different kinds of shots and pretend needles from her doctor kit. She would give me the shot and press as hard as she could, so as to inflict the most pain possible. The Child Psychologist at Children's Hospital (whom we had 2 encounters with), said that this is a good way to let Alex process everything. I am thinking of inviting her over to be the patient, because it is no picnic.

Sorry no pics. It breaks my heart when I look at her pale skin and dark circles under her eyes and how thin she is...

Keep checking in, this has got to get better.

Dr. Sarafina

2011-11-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

Guess who is the patient?

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MY FRIENDS

2011-11-11T10:28:00.001-08:00

I didn't take any pictures from her stay at Children's Hospital, mostly because I couldn't bare to see those images again. Let me paint one picture for you, that will forever be en grained in my head.

Alex wanted to get out of the room and "...go find some kids" the first night we were there. We walked up and down the halls, wheeling her IV pole with us. She saw a little girl in a room down the hall, and she said, "Mama, I want to make a friend."

We poked our heads in, and this little girl was soooo happy to see us! She was 4 years old, and she has Spinabifida. She told Alex all about her walker, and the tubes in her tummy, and why she has braces on her legs. And she wanted to be Alex's friend too. Then she asked about Alex's IV.

It was super cute to see these two interact.

Then we met 4 year old Erik. Alex said, "That boy has an IV in his hand too!" He was sitting in a wagon while his dad was pulling him around the halls. Erik was in the Hospital to try and control his diabetic seizures. Erik started singing "Happy Birthday", cuz he loves that song, then Alex sang "Puff the Magic Dragon". Then they hugged.

She still talks about her friends from the "HOP-SITAL".

Watch out for those pesky apples!

2011-11-11T09:46:00.001-08:00

OK, so we are now on day 4 of what I refer to as, "Tonsil Hell". Every day brings a new kind of hell.
Overall, Alex's surgery went as expected. She had a Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy that was with out complication. We spent 1 night in the Hospital, (with a student nurse, see below). We were discharged the next day after Alex drank the absolute MINIMUM amount of water necessary to sustain life. So far, she has earned a stuffed kitten and a $30 "Mama Lion" for her fluid intake. (I think the score is tied, Alex 2, Mama and Mommy 2).
There are a few childhood urban legends out there. One of them is of course the "razor blade in the apple story" that always comes up on Halloween to scare the bajeezus out of little trick or treaters. The other urban legend is, "You can have as much ice cream as you want after you get your tonsils out!!!!!"
The truth is, kids don't want ANYTHING in their mouth after such an invasive surgery. Some kids even refuse to swallow for weeks.
Alex is swallowing, and mostly sleeping OK. Her pain meds are to be given every 4 hours, and that is a full-on toddler brawl. We wake her up for this...so you can imagine her delight at 11 pm, then again at 3 am, and so on.
Today began a new chapter. She has been vomiting non-stop since she woke up. That means, NO PAIN MEDS ARE IN HER SYSTEM, which means she doesn't want to drink... She also hasn't pooped in 5 days. We are taking measures to improve her quality of life, and also figuring out how to manage her pain. She is sleeping comfortably now.
I think one of the hardest parts of this whole thing for Alex is her inability to talk as much as she'd like.
As you all know, talking is her gift to the universe, and without it, she could self destruct.
Anyway, this can't go on forever, RIGHT??????
Mostly I wanted to make sure that you all double-checked your kids' trick or treat bags for any apples that may have been distributed on Halloween.

This was our Nurse at the Hospital

2011-11-11T09:42:00.001-08:00

Leigh, Alex and I endured 2 days of "Nurse Pittman" at Children's Hospital. We laugh so hard about it now, we especially laugh about her "doll-sized hands".

Hospital tour

2011-11-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

We had a pre-surgery tour at childrens hospital today. This is Alex in a real operating room, putting a mask on the doll named "Claudia".
When we were done with the tour, Alex said, "Did I just get my tonsils out mama?"

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candy candy candy candy candy

2011-11-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

November 1st 8:00 am: Alex wakes up
November 1st 8:01 am: Alex says, "I want to eat my candy."

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Alex had 3 questions for this lady:
"Are you a stranger?"
"What's your name?"
"Can I pet your dog?"
Then she said, "Trick or Treat" to the lady, hoping to get some candy out of her. (She was just a neighbor walking her dog.) She is showing this "stranger" how to shoot Spidey webs.
Trick or Treating was so much fun. Once Alex got the hang of it, she was full on RUNNING between houses.

What's been happening???

2011-10-27T15:52:00.001-07:00

Those darn tonsils are coming out.
In 2 weeks, Alex will undergo a tonsillectomy, and possibly an adenoidectomy. This year has been a mirror image of last year's nightmare, and we cannot live this way any more.
Today was a real heart breaker. Alex missed the Halloween party at her school because she was so sick, as in 104 temperature, and floppy kid in our arms last night, not good.
We are simply living day-to-day trying to make it surgery.
This has been a bumpy road, and hopefully soon we can close this chapter and move on with our lives.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, we're going to need them.

Blue Spix Macaw

2011-10-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Alex had to miss her costume party at school for a stinkin doctor's appointment...so...we made the best of it.

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Roger Roger

2011-10-24T16:45:00.001-07:00

Piloting a space shuttle with oven mitts is no easy task.

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Astronaut

2011-10-24T16:41:00.001-07:00

Let me be clear. I would love her just as much if she wanted to dress up as a Princess everyday, but that's just not her style. She is flying to the moon.

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salon gossip

2011-10-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

A few stats while she was at the salon:
Favorite Food: Butter, Salt, and the Honey Bear
Favorite Thing To Do: Push buttons, the wrong buttons

Little Vet Tech

2011-10-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Alex's favorite place in the history of the planet is the Children's Museum. She has been asking to go EVERY DAY, literally for one week, I FINALLY decided to take her (despite my better judgement against germs). She spent the majority of the time in the Children's Vet Clinic.

I lub you Sparky

2011-10-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

Alex is in "lub" with the firedog, Sparky. She is showing Sparky her birds. If you look close enough, you can see the 12 pack, I mean birdcage, that she carries her birds in.

spidey

2011-10-12T06:36:00.001-07:00

Spidey strikes again.

Step off

2011-10-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

And I quote, "there's some trouble following me".

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Spidey

2011-10-05T20:24:00.001-07:00

Just a few bedtime stories with a superhero. No biggie.

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Day 2

2011-10-04T16:13:00.001-07:00

Another day recovering. We played it real mellow today with a trip to the Library. FYI, this is the first time in 4 days that she is not either in her Spiderman costume, or the Tarzan "loin cloth".

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Darn you!!!!

2011-10-03T12:46:00.001-07:00

Strep strikes again. Here we are watching 101 Dalmations. More on this later. Stay tuned.

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I needed a laugh today.

2011-10-01T17:15:00.001-07:00

Hi, it's my birthday, and I invited lots of animals to my party.

2011-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Alex's birthday party was today, and it was epic. An entire barn, complete with cute little animals, came to the house.
Alex's birthdays are bittersweet for me. While I am so proud of the person she has become, I am also sad that she will never be 2 again...
Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet baby!

Meet the animals

2011-09-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Petting Zoo included: 2 pot belly pigs, a horse, a donkey, a sheep and a goat named "Boots". And a surprise to us all was the fact that the people who brought the animals didn't even look like Carnies one bit!

Just having fun

2011-09-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Look at how beautiful my girls look...makes me happy.

just being me

2011-09-24T17:25:00.001-07:00

Another spectacular toddler move at the wedding. (Alex was removing the tree sap from between her toes, classy.)

"GET IT OFF!!!!!"

2011-09-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

We have just arrived at a wedding, and Alex REFUSES to wear her dress. If there was no proof before that she was from my gene pool, let this be the evidence.

As she is ABSOLUTELY MELTING DOWN, BFF says, "What are we going to do?"

My response, "Get the video camera, quick!"

Clearly, you can see that reading the parenting books that last month have been extremely helpful.

Come on in!

2011-09-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Virtual Readers, this is my school, and I still like it!
I play with Play Dough, there is a pretend kitchen, there is a water table, but my favorite is the pretend ice cream station. Then we wash our hands and have snacks, then we go outside to the best playground in the entire world!!! There is even a "zip line" for kids just my size!

Day 2, it's competitive to get in the door...

2011-09-13T17:08:00.001-07:00

This is the second day of school. Just a little taste of Alex's world in the mornings, twice a week.

Zoo day

2011-09-12T12:21:00.001-07:00

It's starting to drip, and that's where I come in.

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open open open open open open open open open

2011-09-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!
Here is our baby, waiting, patiently waiting, for the doors to open for her first day of Preschool Juniors.
Shortly after this picture was taken, the doors opened, and Alex took off running, like her pants were on fire, to her classroom.

Cold Hotdog

2011-09-07T18:32:00.001-07:00

I heart veggies too Alex. Another "Mother of the Year Award" coming my way.

Darn you croup!

2011-09-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Croup has struck again! Alex had to miss her first day of school. We made the best of it by going to the Botanical Gardens.

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Guide her, protect her

2011-09-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

This excerpt is from Tina Fey's book, "Bossypants".

Tina Fey's prayer for her daughter:

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Source: Bossypants

Git her outa there!!!

2011-09-03T14:18:00.001-07:00

I'm so glad that Alex isn't in my belly anymore. This picture was taken exactly 3 years ago.

She's leaving the cocoon and going to school...

2011-09-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

Look at the little caterpillar, she's growing up!

Butterfly Pavilion

2011-09-02T06:14:00.001-07:00

"Mama, look at those butterflies on the ceiling!"

2011-09-02T06:13:00.001-07:00

This is Alex's new school! She starts next week, and she's VERY excited! Wish her luck.

2011-09-01T17:10:00.001-07:00

Just your standard trip to the grocery store with Spiderman, no biggie.

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An early morning conversation

2011-08-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

5:00 am. (she ALWAYS sleeps till 7:30)

Alex: "Mama, I want to go to the store and buy a Spiderman costume, then we can go to the Candy store. Is the Candy store tall? Mama, open your eyes. I'm not tired anymore."

Me (barely opening my eyes): "OK, we can get you a Spiderman costume, then the candy store. Now close your eyes and go back to sleep."

Alex: "Is it tall?"

Me: "Yes. Candy stores are tall.". (As I'm falling back asleep.)

Alex: "Then we can buy an Indian costume. Deal?"

Me: "Deal.".

Cat Pirate

2011-08-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Playing dress up is the new favorite game. In this picture, Alex is a "Cat Pirate". (Everything is preceded with the word "cat" in her world.)

That is her dog, Dotty, and you can clearly see her "hook" for a hand.

nose picker

2011-08-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Alex gets distracted when she takes her nose on a scooter ride.

Doesn't she look tall?

2011-08-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

A lazy sunday...hanging out in the millet with the deer family.

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Uncle Travis and the rocket

2011-08-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Uncle Travis is loading up the "stomp rocket" for Sarafina.

Apparently, HE is the only one in the entire world who can do the stomp rocket correctly (according to Alex).

buh bye

2011-08-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Angela is off to college with her new computer...buh bye. We'll miss you sistra!

buh bye

2011-08-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

We will miss you Joyce!

pure awesomeness

2011-08-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hi, have you met my glasses?

I am now a proud owner of spectacles, and BFF has just ordered hers as well.

Awesome. Pure awesomeness.

2 boys and 2 girls

2011-08-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Rachel and Mer.

Pretty soon they're going to be a family of 4. Yup, Rachel is growing 2 boys in her belly! We are sooo happy for you guys!

Another mother of the year award...

2011-08-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Alex was invited to play "ring around the rosie" at the park the other day. She really enjoyed playing with these little girls, UNTIL they all wanted to do "princess dancing". Alex was really underimpressed with this suggestion. I'm sure their moms were underimpressed with my parenting, when alex pulled down her little boy underwear and went "nature pee pee" right in the park.

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2011-08-11T12:58:00.001-07:00

Driving and talking on the cell takes practice.

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hardcore cowpoke

2011-08-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

I bet you're saying to yourself, "No saddle, that's a hardcore Cowpoke."

And she is.

kid movies

2011-08-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Cousin Vicky's visit was fun. She's getting married in a few weeks, and we can't go, so we are sooooo glad that she came to hang out with us and get caught up on all the kid movies.

Sorely disappointed

2011-08-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Painting didn't last long because Alex really wanted us to paint her a Snow Leopard. Alex said mine looked like a Donkey, and the one that Grandma Sussa drew looked like a kitty. That was the end of painting.

git some

2011-08-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

School starts in less than a month for Alex, and we're going to try and squeak out as many "fun in the sun" days as possible.

fountain park

2011-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is Alex's cool and hip aunt, Joyce. We had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Joyce at the fountain park. Joyce is leaving for Africa in 2 weeks to show off her freshi freshi haircut and her new language of Swahili.

2011-08-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Curly haired goodness.

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I am a knight because my moms haven't bought me any princess dresses.

2011-08-03T03:46:00.000-07:00

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pony ride

2011-08-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

Alex went on a pony ride, ALL BY HERSELF!!!!

She chose to ride a pony named, Peanut.

cowgirl Jodi

2011-08-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Cowgirl Jodi really liked Alex. She even let Alex wear her hat.

Cousin Vicky and Grandma Sussa

2011-08-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Cousin Vicky is visiting from Iowa, and she just took the BAR exam in Iowa.

(That's right readers, I have a cousin that is a Lawyer, full on Soprano style, so don't mess.)

Alex baked her cupcakes for a reward.

I heart Veggies

2011-08-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite t-shirt.

SHE SOOOOOOOO DOES NOT LIKE VEGGIES. She would rather eat shards of glass than veggies. But if you ask her, "What is your favorite food?", she will say "Broccoli and SeaWeed."

Really, her favorite food is frosting. Just frosting.

from dooce.com

2011-08-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

This is a blog entry from one of my favorite authors, dooce.com
This perfectly describes Alex, and her crazy ex-girlfriend behavior, and then the garbage collecting, until finally, a time out.

The timer starts now
Last night at dinner Marlo became very angry when we would not let her eat a pile of shredded cheese off of the table without utensils or her hands. She just wanted to stick her face in it like a dog. Sadly, this behavior didn't surprise us because we have turned our back for two seconds only to realize that she is on the floor next to Chuck eating his food out of his bowl. With her face.

Nutritious!

As most two-year-olds are wont to do, she began screaming hysterically. And as parents who have already lived through this with one kid are wont to do, we told her to get over it and then ignored her. Except, ignoring Marlo is like ignoring an ex-girlfriend who isn't ready to get over you yet. And next thing you know she's spelling SCREW YOU with gasoline on your lawn and is standing there with a match in her hand.

Because the pitch of the scream suddenly jumped to 170 decibels, the approximate sound of a rifle going off right beside your head. Not because of the cheese anymore, no. She went from screaming to sociopath because we stopped returning her phone calls. Because we disregarded her texts. We unfriended her on Facebook.

Jon promptly picked her up, set her on the floor ten feet away from the dinner table and said, "You've got two minutes to calm down." Operation Time-Out. This is sometimes a controversial parenting topic, whether or not to put your child in a time-out. You may think it's the most barbaric thing you could do to a child, and that's fine. I'll still invite you over for coffee, although I might spit in it.

Time-outs worked wonders with Leta because it stopped what my brother-in-law refers to as Garbage Collecting. She'd get so worked up that she'd lose sight of the reason she got upset in the first place and would then be screaming about fifteen other things she picked up as she spiraled out of control: we never let her have ice cream for dinner, we wouldn't get her a swimming pool, we always made her wear pants.

Time-outs gave her the space and time to calm down, and it removed us from the equation. And since we weren't screaming at her to, you know, CALM DOWN, she'd realize, hmmm. Now that it's quiet and I can think clearly, my parents are totally right.

Or something like that.

We've just started putting Marlo into time-outs, so she's still catching on to the whole idea. Meaning it makes her even angrier. And last night after Jon put her on the floor she dramatically flopped her whole body over and writhed. As if we has just injected her with electricity.

Leta thought that was the funniest thing she had ever seen, and because she doesn't like it when people laugh at her, she tried to hide her laughing. Which only made me and Jon laugh because OH MY GOD, kid. You used to do the exact same thing when you were her age.

"No, I didn't!" she said defensively, still laughing.

"Yes, actually, you did," Jon said. "Sometimes you'd even throw your body."

"I don't remember doing that," she said.

So I asked, "Do you ever remember being out into a time-out?"

"Nooooooo," she said, as if Jon and I were making the whole thing up.

THERE YOU GO. See? She doesn't have a single memory of how barbaric we were!

2011-07-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

So happy to be in the mountains!

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Nope, not tired

2011-07-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Clearly, she's not tired.