Love

I got super lucky and snapped some really cute pictures of the kids after school today- so I thought I'd post them!  I love them so much.

Dax can now climb the swing set ladder solo.  Scares me to death.

Climb ladder.  Slide head first.  Refuse mom's help.  Repeat.

She is lucky I didn't eat her alive right here she's so delicious.

Pretty baby.

Bathtime!

What a little stinker!  This is right before he hiked his leg to climb out and got stuck half-way over.

We Love Weekends!

I suspect Dax could have a sensitivity- intolerance, allergy, something- to dairy.  Or some other food that we both eat.  I'll post more about it when/if I get to the bottom of it, but google "chronic ear infections and dairy allergy" and you'll get it.  :) 

With that said- we had to make a trip to Sugarland this weekend to Whole Foods to pick up some coconut milk yogurt (for Dax), and coconut milk coffee creamer (for me; I now have to go dairy-free as well since I am still breastfeeding a few times a day)- so we thought we'd make the most of our time there and find something novel to do with our Sunday afternoon.  Turns out, it was opening weekend for Houston's new minor league baseball team, the Skeeters! 

Still- no biggie right?  Whoopty-doo. 

Wrong!  It was the most amazing day EVER!  It was only $20ish for us to all get in, the parking was free, the food was decent and cheap- and behind the entire outfield was a massive playground (broken up into many age-appropriate sections), and a splash pad!!

I could not keep up with this kid in the Splash Pad!  He. was. in. HEAVEN.

She still looks like my baby girl here!

At the baby playground.

Pure Joy!

With the mosquito mascot "Skeeter."  I cannot get enough of this picture!  I want to quit my job so I can just stare at it all day.

Looks like she's watching the game- but she's actually just peeking through to see a real-live baseball player.  Or is it football?  Is it the Aggies?  Who cares- not Ada.



We love Splash Pads!  We mean baseball! (I got sprayed up the entire backside of my body in the process of taking this picture with Casey-I demanded we keep taking them until we got a perfect one after that!)




Family picture at Constellation Field.  You've got to go



Spring 2012 School Pictures & Phone Picture Dump

Kind of a lot has been going on lately -(mostly related to the allergist- whom I have officially kicked off of my kids' list of care providers.  Long story, I'll save it for some day when I finally have the answers I am seeking.  Let's just say we have spent a few dollars shy of $1000 on medication this MONTH alone prescribed by her, and it's not the cost that I'm most unhappy about.  She's just an over-reacter, over-prescriber, over-bearing woman- and we're over it!  Appointment with a new allergist next week.  Hopefully she's more tolerant, more patient, and not as anxious to jump on the steroid/antibiotic/antihistamine bandwagon.  Let's treat the cause, not the symptoms, people!)- 

so I will instead just please your eyes with some of the cutest sites you've ever seen! :)

Spring school pictures were taken a few weeks ago-

OMG, I love her so much my heart is going to explode.

I miss him so much during the day!

I seriously cannot get enough of them.  Light of my life!

My kids making me giggle-

Dax has been on antibiotics for, ohhhh.. about 6 months now, so I think he's got a yeast diaper rash.  So we played naked after bath time for a while tonight to let him "air out."  

Bahaha!  They're going to kill me someday for posting this!

 Sweetish Baby fills an order for Ada-

My own sweet baby girl placed an order for a new dress before going to bed tonight.  :)  This is actually her first outfit I've made her.  (The bows are for pigtails, they're not attached to the dress at all!)

Christian's 25th Injury Anniversary

My Uncle Christian has been a quadriplegic for 25 years today- he is such an amazing person who has supported us, consoled us, listened to us, cared for us, laughed with (and at) us, enjoyed us, and loved us.

I was so young when his accident happened (a freak accident in a softball game while in the Navy- I think he was 19?  20?)  that I only have a handful of memories of him before he was paralyzed- all of which involve coloring at Grandma and BawBaw's coffee table.

I think I'm about 5 in this picture?  My timeline is all fuzzy.   

Oh, my Alf doll!!!

I adored spending the night with Christian and Andrea my entire childhood.  I loved wheelchair rides. I loved to ask him to speed full force ahead in his chair and "stop at a jerk"- which he would ALWAYS just slowly roll my way and stop right at my feet (since I was the jerk, lol!).  He bought me my first cell phone and paid for my service all through college so I would feel safe.  

I don't slumber party with them anymore- I don't even spend much time over there these days- but I still love him more than anything.  I am amazed at what he's survived, been through, and come out even more kick-ass on the other side.  

Love you, Christian!!!

Zoo Trip

Took our first family zoo trip of 2012 this past weekend- it was a wonderful time, as usual!  I love taking a baby for the first time- Dax could not get enough of the huge, moving beasts!  It was totally adorable.  Ada has always been a big zoo fan- mostly because of the carousel ride we go on at the end of the day!

Feeding a giraffe!!! 

My favorite picture ever.  Waiting in line to feed the giraffes- Dax was *almost*  as intrigued by the zoo patrons on the opposite side of the wall as he was the animals!  He kept insisting Casey hoist him up to peek over.

Wagon ride!

'Bout to get out to see the tigers- "Raaawwwwrrrrr!!"

Loved the elephants.  He sat still and watched for about 10 minutes.  Then he wanted to hop the fence, and it was time to move on.

First carousel ride as a coherent human being!

I adore this little girl.

Mommy and Ada.

Trying to catch a picture of our perfect afternoon lunch on the patio, and this happened---



The next day was just as amazing.  I think we played in the backyard from 10am-4pm.  This is once we'd come in and cooled off. We put these fairy wings on Dax because it was funny... but he didn't want us to take them off, and he walked around with them on for almost an hour!  And this mustard bottle- it's almost his security blanket. 



Instagram

There is an app called "Instagram" that has only been available on iPhones until very recently.  You have no idea how many times in the last two years I've *almost* purchased an iPhone for this single reason!  But I'd read that Android (our phone type) was coming out with Instagram in the near future, so I held out. 

Well, it's available, I've downloaded it, and I've figured it all out!  So, all of my mobile uploads will hopefully be a little more aesthetically pleasing from here on out! :)

Here are a few pics I practiced on this weekend (and more to come in my next post about our zoo trip on Saturday!)- I'm obsessed!

Katy HS Spring Show

I took Ada to the KBBC (Katy Bengal Brigade & Cheer) Spring Show on Friday- I was craving some alone time with that sweet girl, and wanted to do something that we couldn't just pick up and do any 'ole time. 

We looked forward to it all week (see Adaism below!), and had such a wonderful time!  She sat in my lap the entire time, and was such a sweet angel.  (Got a little bored about halfway through, but luckily I had by bag-o-tricks, and she colored/ate snacks for about 30 minutes!)

It was also so wonderful to see my students in another capacity.  These girls work SO hard preparing for this 2 hour concert, and I was absolutely blown away with their talent and dedication.  Made me proud! 

Ada totally loved the dances that the cheerleaders choreographed and performed the best- every gunshot, electric zap, and sub-100lb teenage girl flying in the air sent her spiraling into applause and squeals.  (Great, hope my pockets are deep enough when it's time for extracurricular activities!)  That and when the Katy Tiger came out and danced a few times!

Adaisms of the day:

-I woke her up that morning reminding her it was Spring Show day, never actually clarifying that we weren't going until that evening.  When we turned left to go to Kids-R-Kids instead of right for Katy High School, Ada stopped short and shouted: "WAIT!  We are going to school!?!?"  She was NOT happy to learn that she had to wait 11 more long hours!

-At the beginning of the show the MCs had us practice applauding and laughing extra hard at their corny jokes on command.  I know both MCs, so naturally giggled at their jokes all night because I thought they were adorable- whenever I giggled, Ada thought that was her cue to do the fake laugh.  It was hilarious- made me laugh harder, which made her laugh harder, etc!

Ada-isms

1. Ada has a teacher named Ms. Caroline, that she truly believes is pronounced "Ms. Care-A-Lot."

2. Ada informed me that the CD she was dancing to in her room was a "Carrie Underwear" CD (instead of Carrie Underwood).

3. Me: Ada, you're such a good sister.
    Ada: {shaking her head}
    Me: Great sister.
    Ada: {shaking her head}
    Me: Amazing sister!
    Ada: {shaking her head}
    Me: Gorgeous sister??
    Ada: YES!

4. She STILL calls a swimsuit a "suit case."  Years now.

5. Today we heard on the news on the drive to school about an alligator being spotted at an Elementary school in Fort Bend County.  Ada was VERY concerned that they meant HER school. 
Me: No, at another school.
Ada: At YOUR school???
Me: No, in another city.
Ada: So, is there gonna be an alligator at my school?
Me: No, you're safe- but even if there were, there are huge fences around your playgrounds and your doors are locked, so you will be safe no matter what.
Ada: silence.
{walk into school}
Ada: to Mr. Paul- there's an alligator at our school!
         to Olivia- there's an alligator at our school!
         (Olivia: "OH!  Is it BIG!?"  Ada: "YES!!!!!!!")

6. Ada: Mom, astronauts go to the ____________________ (wanting me to complete her sentence.)
    Me: MOON!  Did I get it right?
    Ada: Yes.  You did.  And that moon is diiiirrrrrttttyyyy.

7. (same conversation)
    Ada: See my picture mom?  That's me.  On a spaceship.  That's where I live.
    Me: Cool.  Love the colors.  Where does Dax live?
    Ada: America.
    Me: Right.  Where does Mommy live?
    Ada: Texans.
    Me:  Mmm.  Where does Daddy live?
    Ada: Oh, he lives at work.

8. She's begun apologizing for everything.  Tonight she apologized in advance.
    Me: Ada, go inside and sit at the table.  I'm going to bring you your nuggets to eat.
    Ada: Oh, I'm sorry Mom.  But I'm not going to do that....

9. Ada: Where's Daddy this morning?
   Me: He had to be at the office super early today, so he's already left.
   Ada: The lights at work must NEVER turn off.

10. I told her strawberries were good for her skin, and would give her a healthy glow.  That night, she wanted to know if I could see her skin glowing yet when we turned the lights out...

With her friend Addy- playing dress up in her room!

Phone Pix Dump

I am stealing my friend Tiffany's (from Another Texas Family) title from a recent blog post where she just "dumped" all of her pictures taken with her phone over the last -however-long.  Brilliant!  I'm going to make this a semi-scheduled post theme so I can share the pictures that I capture most often- on the fly with my phone!

Houston, we have a climber-

This was the day after his ear drum burst.  And, I thought this was so crazy in the moment (he just hiked his little leg up on that table and hoisted himself up!)- but he's proven me quite wrong since.  

He attempts to climb everything.  Today he fell off of the back of the couch- onto the kitchen tile. 

This was literally after only 2 seconds of being unattended.  And "unattended" doesn't even count.  

Casey was sitting on the floor right in front of the couch, and Dax had JUST crawled up to the couch at all.  

I thought I was going to puke, after witnessing the last half of his fall.  But he somehow contorted his body so he landed smack on his rear-end in a sitting position.  After a small whimper he hopped up and ran off...

Climbing the big kid slide!  Evidence why we haven't been able to go to Chick-Fil-A since about February- because this is ALL he wants to do on the playground.  But there always seems to be some fat 6 year old playing like a wild banshee- so I feel uncomfortable letting him loose to climb the slide on his own.
(And I'm sure not going to crawl up and down after him!)

Ada watering the roses yesterday while we played outside ALL DAY!  (Seriously one of the best days we've had in a LONG time.  Loved every second of this weekend!)
Her words exactly:  "I love you flowers!  I will give you water and sunshine, ok!?"

Tubes In, Adenoids Out

Daxy's surgery is officially a thing of the past! :) He had his adenoids removed and tubes inserted today- and I am so looking forward to him enjoying the life of a WELL child!  Once we get any allergies sorted out, he'll be a new man. :)

Before we get to the pictures, THIS POST is one I wrote about Ada's tubes & adenoids when she was just a few months older than Dax! Cute to reminisce.  

Checking in to the surgery center.  This place didn't cater to pediatrics as much as Texas Children's does, and Dax was a total trooper!
They were behind schedule, and he was fasting (and wanting a boob just for fun, too)- but still by far the happiest baby in the waiting room.
He enjoyed climbing on the vast selection of chairs, benches, tables, and stools.  I love this boy!

Rolling back to surgery in a cool red wagon!  The nurse had taken him on a few test runs around the intake area while I talked to the anesthiologist- making sure we'd discussed all 652 medicines he's currently taking.
So when they were pulling him back for the real deal, Casey, the nurses, and I all stood waving at him- and he just waved at us with a HUGE smile plastered on his face saying "buh-bye!  buh-bye!" as he was whisked off through the double doors.  Melted my heart!!!

Sooo...we were a LITTLE belligerent waking up from the anesthesia.  As in, couldn't be held down by 3 grown nurses.  He was, like, possessed.
Thrashing, levitating, roaring.
Ripping at his IV.
Banging his head repeatedly on the bed.
He wouldn't even come-to enough to nurse.  Daddy picked up him eventually and he immediately calmed down, laid his head down, and passed out.  They're buds.  :)


So now we are home and religiously giving Tylenol every 4 hours.  He's being a total sweetheart, but clearly uncomfortable and a little exhausted.  MiMi is staying the night so she can stay home with him tomorrow while I go to work- I'm jealous I can't stay here with them and play!!  :)