Since we dragged on Sunday we had a lot of making up to do the next day. P came up with the idea to go to Laughlin. It was probably a result of the dinner we had with his family. The restaurant we went to is where the family gathered for P's high school graduation. His mom stated that it was the last time P was there. Nope, P and I dined there on a date. The trip down memory lane had us reminiscing about a quick two day trip to Laughlin, and how much fun we had on a seadoo, ripping it up in the Colorado river.
P thought it would be great to introduce SS to fun in a seadoo there. Now this is where we usually end up messing things up. Seriously, we have a tranquil lake practically on our backyard; but no, we chose the freaking Colorado river as SS's first time. Sometimes I wonder how we were approved to bring SS home.
The water was choppy and the wind made things worse. What we failed to take into account is that when we were there it was the end of summer, water levels were lower, less people, meaning less boats causing wakes, calmer waters. It wasn't as pleasant, but we made the best of it. Even though SS claims to constantly feel the need for speed, we don't think she is going to be asking for a seadoo for Christmas. We will wait a while, then take her out on the lake, to hopefully make her enthusiastic about riding one again.
After fun in the sun we fed SS, bathed her (she is self sufficient, but we did not want to risk getting her stitches wet), then P took her to Kid Kastle. We had a nice prime rib dinner with a river view. The prime rib was tender, some of the best we have had, and we could not finish our dinner, let alone dessert. We did some more big time penny gambling, then four hours later picked up our baby. It felt good to have some alone time, and we are going to make an effort to do it on a regular basis. It helps that SS starts school next month, and P is off on Mondays and some Tuesdays.
Not so sure about this people.
Is it even legal for me to be on this thing?
They both look thrilled.
El Mamo
Dinner with a river view.
This is crazy, kayaking on such a swift current.
Tuesday morning, ready to go home.
We took a quick look at the classic car museum, but SS was into the motorcycles.
We bought SS two analog Buzz Lightyear watches. She has two digital ones, and Nana gave her a digital Hello Kitty one recently. Then we realized that our daughter is about to start kindergarten and can't tell time. We are determined to expose Sula to things that are now taken for granted in the digital age. Things like cursive writing, writing real letters instead of emails, and using an analog watch/clock. We are keeping the second watch as a first day of school gift, it's a Lego Buzz watch.
Lucky girl on a Delorean. The attendant had her hold the do not touch sign. He said she wasn't touching it, just sitting on it.
P drove all the way home again, and I did not object. I was reading then felt something next to me, it was SS's feet by my head. Even when sleeping she finds a way to lounge.
Four hours later we were back to reality, via a wound check at urgent care. We will return to Laughlin, the magical land where you can get a Jack and Coke for $1, but pay $2.30 for a medium soft drink.
We skipped practice last Sunday to get away for two nights, as a belated wedding anniversary present. While in urgent care I really wanted to cancel, but by the time SS fell asleep I realized that four stitches were not going to prevent her from having fun. P initially wanted to stay at Harrah's, then I asked him what exactly were we supposed to do with SS. I doubted that if we gave her a cigarette and a Long Island Iced Tea, the staff would buy she was the shortest 21 year old in the world. I found Kid Kastle at the Riverside Resort and Casino, a so so hotel, but it had entertainment for SS. The plan was to drop her off for two hours Saturday night, then if it went well, we would go out to dinner Sunday night, and would leave her a while longer. Taking in consideration what I just posted about my trust issues with others caring for SS, I knew it was going to be difficult. I spent the drive to Laughlin stressing out about SS not liking it, and P's reaction if I backed out of our plan.
I should not have wasted time worrying, because SS didn't hesitate to leave us once she learned that they had a N*ntendo station with eight consoles (with non violent games). They also have an indoor play land, a bounce house, a movie theater, a snack area and arcade games. The staff to child ratio is greater than required (the facility is state licensed), and they even have a nursery, since they accept children 3 months to 12 years old. I can't imagine leaving an infant in such a hectic place, but live and let live. SS took off once we were done with her registration, and never looked back. We left her wondering how long before we would receive a call that SS was done, but it did not happen. Oh, the price was very reasonable, $7 an hour. You can't get a sitter locally for that price. P found a coupon for a free hour, so we did very well.
We threw caution to the wind, and hit the slots, big time, at the penny machines. I still have some serious hang ups from being raised by a devout SDA. As luck has it, so was Michelle, and she has helped me see that there's nothing wrong with breaking those strict rules, just in moderation. I had tried before, but the guilt is overwhelming. It was nice to shake the kid for a while, and have an uninterrupted conversation. We felt like adults, something we have not felt in a while.
We had planned to check out the other hotels, but the heat had sucked the energy out of us, and we picked up a very happy SS, and headed to our room. P drove all the way, and I expected him to follow SS to dreamland. He really surprised me, because we ended up talking until early the next morning.
SS proudly showing off the first treat she received at urgent care the previous evening.
Thoroughly enjoying her Mama's Mother's Day present.
SS is very ticklish, she began whimpering when P said he needed to clean her wound. She could not care less that it was a harmless saline solution. Then once she felt it she could not stop laughing, and asked for more. Silly goose.
It breaks my heart to see how scared SS was last Saturday, nothing but her Mama would do.
This awful contraption called a papoose made its second appearance in my life. When JJ was three years old, he fell off a swing while with a baby sitter, and ended up with four stitches on his lip. Yes, four, funny huh? We told SS she can stop emulating her brother, we do not want an ICU repeat. Back to JJ... the babysitter did not call me at work, I found out hours later when I picked him up. I was furious, seriously, what the hell was she thinking? That I would not find out if she didn't call? As soon as I saw the wound I realized he needed stitches and drove to urgent care. JJ was very upset, mainly because he was told that I knew about his injury, and he was very upset that I allegedly chose to leave him waiting. I was reminiscing about this on the way to urgent care with SS, and P asked me if that incident is why I have serious issues with leaving my kids with anyone. That's it, he hit the nail in the head, it takes a lot for e to trust anyone with y children.
Back in time... Unlike the staff at this urgent care, the ones where I took J were not patient. When it was his turn they immediately made the decision to place him in the papoose. I halfheartedly pretended to help, and oops, JJ got a few kicks on the nurse and doctor, while I laughed inside. At three JJ was very strong and put a heck of a fight. I do not know if JJ even remembers the incident, and if he does he has never mentioned it to me. But SS comes from a very different place emotionally than her brother. Time in that contraption would have set us back a lot with SS. Sad, but true, we still struggle with attachment and its consequences.
P and I had blood on our shirts, yet SS did not have even a speck on her clothing. How did that happen?
After all the drama, tears, and screaming, SS made a miraculous recovery when the PA said she could choose a toy from the treasure box. The nurse had already given SS a paddle/ball toy, but SS wanted to choose her own. She found a mini monster truck, and the pain on her chin was forgotten.
One avocado later SS was all smiles. When SS talked to Nana she mentioned the treasure box. Nana told her that she also has a treasure box, and SS immediately asked if she could see it. That's when we knew that SS was going to be OK.
She did not protest when we put her in bed. I was afraid that the emotional evening would make SS want to cuddle between us, and then we would be back to square one. So sweet how she fell asleep cradling her injured chin with her tiny hand.
As we were leaving the hotel I noticed JJ's favorite car. We drove by it several times over the past two days, yet somehow managed to miss it. Had to turn around and get a picture for JJ. SS was very excited, because I have recently. introduced her to the Back to the Future movie, and like her brother, SS fell in love with the Delorean.
As we were about to take SS's picture the attendant came up to us, and held his finger, in a wait gesture. Bummer, we thought pictures were not allowed. The attendant then took the rope down and had a very surprised SS sit on the car. P took pictures with the good camera, I'll post one when we get home. The attendant said he could not resist SS's smile, and he knew we were there just for the Delorean photo op.
We are on our way home, and once there SS's smile is going to disappear. She has a wound check appointment at urgent care, and we are certain she is going to freak as soon as she sees the building. Hopefully she'll be tired from the drive, and heat, and it won't be too bad. Yeah, right, wishful thinking.
As SS was changing into her pajamas tonight she sadly said, "I miss my new bed." How cute is that? Maybe the big girl bed is the push SS needed to remain in her room. Maybe this will work out well. Maybe I'm getting too excited over nothing. One more sleep and SS will be sleeping in her comfy, cool bed.
Just minutes before Michelle and Joe arrived for dinner, SS fell on our tile floor and split her chin. We are officially the worst hosts ever, we told them were the essentials were located, then headed to urgent care. SS was hysterical, and we were concerned about having her restrained (more on that later).
P sent JJ a text message and seconds later big brother was on the phone with SS. That lifted her spirits, her JJ is tops with SS. The nurse and PA were wonderful and patient, even though we arrived half an hour before they closed. They were so nice that I did not bite their heads off when both asked me if I was SS's mother. My normal retort would be "No, I cruise around and pick up random kids who need urgent care medical aid you freaking moron. Why do you think she is clinging to me for dear life and calling me Mama."
SS was a champ, the PA agreed to inject the anesthetic while she was on my lap, while P held her head. We expressed our concern about restraining SS, and the PA listened. SS was her amazing little self, was a champ through all four stitches. When she was done she headed to the treasure box, and picked a cool car as her prize.
Although we are terrible hosts, it was good to come home to Aunt Michelle and Uncle Joe, who loved on SS. Joe scored major points by sharing his iPod Nano with SS. That cute interaction is going to cost us a lot of money. SS also talked to Nana and got more loving. Talk about milking four stitches. Now we are afraid SS will intentionally do face plants for the attention. A big thank you to all of you who loved on our injured baby.
I'm typing this post as we are on a five hour drive to a mini getaway. We told SS that she would have two days of pool and river fun, then start swimming lessons on Tuesday. No water immersion for one week. It's going to be difficult but a must. This is why parenthood is not for wimps. We are still going to keep our promise to get SS on a seadoo. We have waterproof Band Aids to place underneath the adhesive pad. Only P and I will be jumping in the water to switch positions, so SS should be nice and dry.
Our desktop is refusing to accept pictures, understandable since it is about five years old. Our electronic devices suck, so for now we will be posting from our phones. We will be shopping for a CPU upon our return.
Last night was SS's ninth consecutive night on her bed. On Wednesday night we thought we might encounter some resistance. P and I were playing a game, and as usual, SS had to be in the middle of things. We were very relieved when she fell asleep at the foot of our bed, and did not wake when I placed her on her bed. Thursday morning brought a change in SS's routine. I must have been sound asleep in the morning (had some really nasty, vivid nightmares that sucked the energy out of me), because I did not notice when P kissed me goodbye. I awoke disoriented, turned, and SS was not next to me. I went downstairs and no P. WTH? It was 7:10 a.m., P was long gone. I took the trash out, came upstairs, and SS was still sound asleep. No morning cuddle, no waking up between 5:45 and 6:00 a.m. I took advantage of this gift and went downstairs to get a few things done. SS came downstairs upon awakening, no freaking out, no calling out for me. This is major progress because SS HATES being alone. Her definition of alone vastly differs from most, and to her if we are out of her sight, well, she is alone. She hasn't had nightmares, at least I think she hasn't, because she hasn't cried or whimpered at night.
Ever since we met I have asked SS upon awakening about her dreams. I know, lame, lame, lame. I started with "Did you have good baby dreams?" Then it changed to toddler, preschooler, 4 year old, and now 5 year old dreams. Initially she didn't answer, probably because of the lack of speech thing. When SS was a toddler I would also ask if baby dreams were different from toddler dreams. She just looked at me like the crazy person that I am. At age four she began to answer, and guess what, 4 year old dreams ARE different than 3 year old dreams. Sadly, they were mostly nightmares, "bad dreams Mama." Age five, has been treating SS better in the dream department, especially after our move. She has talked mainly about good dreams, and for nine straight nights, her dreams have been about Legos. To be five. We hope SS keeps this up, because I don't want her to grow up afraid to be on her own, it's not healthy, trust me. We are going to spend a few nights away from home, a belated wedding anniversary, quickie getaway. I asked P to book two beds, because I don't want SS to get comfortable with the idea of sleeping between us again.
I have had the worst luck lately. P's sister emailed him the dinner pictures, and P forwarded them to me. The *&%$# desktop won't allow me to save them, nor to the external hard drive we use as back up. I am sure we will get around it eventually, I just don't have the time or patience now. Yesterday I went to the store to pick up a few items for dinner, and that turned into a four store saga. They were simple items, come on, frozen peas and carrots? It does not get any more pedestrian than that. Yesterday I found a forgotten toy for SS, that we got for a whopping $1.98. It's a mosaic puzzle, like a Lite-Brite without the lights. SS took to it immediately and made all eight patterns yesterday. I think she made some more than once. She played with it again today, and it is tedious to get them done. I took pictures of her finished products (with the good camera), because they looked really neat, and because SS was so proud of herself. I inserted the SD card in the card reader, and the mother trucker bent. Card reader won't recognize it, it's toast. UGH. I can definitely recreate those, not that worried. What worries me is whatever else was in that card, especially if it was a SS first. Oh well, stuff happens. The pictures I have were taken with my phone, because SS asked me to send them to Baba, but are not as good. She does that throughout the day, SS has even asked me to "take picture to send Baba," when she is proud of her BM. Not kidding about that (P has encouraged this by commenting on her prowess). Can't wait for the day P opens a picture at work, only to have someone see it. I have dilly dallied enough now, have lots to do.
I usually post multiple pictures with my posts and that has not been the case for a while. Our netbooks decided that it was a good time for both to crash on us. I have been posting using my phone, and that is a pain in the neck, including the inability to post more than one picture per post. I found our desktop Monday morning, merely by accident. P was surprised where I found it, he forgot where it was packed. We were wonderfully organized during our move.
But this is about Father's Day... For the past three weeks, practice has begun at 10:00 a.m., and that is for warm up and instructions. We are usually early, but not Sunday. Practice started at 8:00, and we had had a late night. On Saturday evening we met with Nana, Aunt C, and Cousin B for dinner (I'll post about that next). When we arrived home we were tired, knew of our early start, but were also wired. We watched Ralphie May's new stand up comedy routine, and had a lot of laughs. I had already seen it, and that boy still managed to crack me up a storm.
P woke me up at 6:00, and that is unusual, because I'm usually up hours before him. SS joined me for a cuddle, then fell asleep right away. This did not bode well for our day, we were still feeling our late night. We did not stop for our usual breakfast, since we were running late. By the time we made it to Buena Park, we knew we had made a mistake, were late anyway, and went though a drive thru for nourishment. SS loved the french toast sticks, but without syrup. That kid is really funky about her likes and dislikes.
P is a very punctual person, and rips me a new one when we are late somewhere. Because it is obvious that it is always my fault when we are late. Never mind the fact that we have a child known for throwing us off schedule. But when he realized that we had missed the bulk of warm up, he was very pleased. According to Michelle, the long, boring warm up is new this year. It's too long for our taste. I always manage to tend to SS's "needs" to skip some portion. On our first practice I was not too confident, when I realized our warm up leader has a handicapped permit on her van. Don't judge me, Michelle and P felt the same way.
I usually paddle next to Michelle, and P next to Joe. During the drive there P asked if I would paddle with him. It was Father's Day and he wanted that as a treat. Michelle agreed to watch SS for us. Our leader was not very pleased, because they want us next to an experienced paddler. Oh well, one time won't hurt. It turned out to be a good decision, because the first group was out for 45 minutes. A new family joined us for the first time this season, and the guy took over steering and calling out instructions. He apparently gave them a heck of a workout. We were both already feeling rough, no need for physical punishment.
P modeling some of his FD gifts. He wanted a fitted Angels hat, and $38 later he found a suitable one. That is one gift I could not get without him present. P also received Angels shorts and an Angels watch. The other positive aspect about missing the first time out, is that we got to digest our breakfast, and SS had us both with her at the same time.
These are the kids from the family who joined us for the first time. The girl is eight years old, and not that much taller than SS. The boy is four, and SS was not very fond of him, which is weird, she's all about boys. He does have a repaired cleft lip, and given his poor speech, possibly also a cleft palate. Communication was not easy, and for someone who has experienced speech difficulties, SS was not very understanding.
That's us in the back. You can tell we are not a coordinated group. The couple in front of us was driving us batty. They were so off, and it threw us off even more. The woman in front of me would start early and would consistently get an extra stroke when we all stopped. The dude was throwing P off as well. They just returned from China, so we hope it's the jet lag. If not, they really suck, because they have been doing this a long time.
Thanks Michelle, for taking these pictures.
SS loves to pitch in when the boat comes in. We did not have to clean it this week, so SS grabbed a paddle to rinse, while avoiding the water.
Of course she had to get her air guitar act on.
We had a really small showing this practice, and the main leader was attending her son's graduation. Only one family went to In N Out, and we didn't feel too bad going on our own, with M & J for lunch. We went to Wahoo's for fish tacos. SS is a fan of stickers, so when I saw the outside, I thought she was going to be in sticker heaven. They are all over the walls, tables, you name it. We sat down and SS was taking everything in around her. She then leaned over and whispered in my ear, "it's creeping me out." Huh? I asked what specifically crept her out, and it was the stickers. Weird. We had a nice, leisure lunch, where the adults had a b*tch session about practice, and life in general. We were glad that practice was early, it's much better to get out before the sun descends on us with all its fury.
We bid our goodbyes, made plans to get together next Saturday at our home, then headed to Soak City. SS did not eat much at lunch, and plopped down to finish her and mine French toast sticks. SC allows small coolers with water and sports drinks. We place ours in the back of the stroller, and so far no one has checked. SS was able to get her contraband in without a problem. We were so sore after practice, and headed to the lazy river, where we spend one hour. If I had been wearing a wide brim hat, I would have taken a nice nap. P kept dozing off. This time we sat on the tubes, and SS joined us, a rarity. She spent time on top of each of us, or sitting next to us, while playing with the water. Snoopy's Ice Show began Friday, and P wanted us to see it, so after a few hours we changed clothes, and made our way to Knott's.
Michelle gave SS the Woodstock that is attached to her Snoopy necklace. It turned out to be the catalyst for a fun, beautiful interaction between Snoopy and SS later in the evening. Man she really looks good with that hat and sunglasses. I had been looking for a child Angels hat for the longest time. Finally found one online and SS is beyond thrilled.
I relented and bought the over priced, gaudy necklace. The thing is that they had a light up sword, and we thought she was going to go for that. But she changed her mind and ended up with the necklace. When JJ attended his first ice show, I bought him a light up toy, with a Mickey Mouse (it was Ice Capades) light up head. During Rosalyn Summers solo dance, all the lights were off, except for the spotlight on her. All of a sudden you could see all the light up toys, and people swinging from side to side. JJ was beyond impressed, I think he got more out of that sight, than the ice skating Disney characters. I wanted SS to have a similar positive experience. However, we are in agreement that our daughter needs to hear the word no more often.
The Beagle sure knows how to make an entrance.
I missed parts of the show, even though we were seated on the front row. How come? Just look at this sight, a mesmerized SS. Few things in life beat seeing the world through a child's eyes. Nothing beats seeing the world through your child's eyes.
We were not done with our day. We headed over to Mrs. Knott's for their famous fried chicken dinner. OMG, that was a heck of a lot of food, it's impossible not to leave with leftovers. SS didn't eat much of hear meal, and it came in handy Monday for lunch. P and I only had a piece of chicken each, and that left four more for the next day. SS loved the boysenberry punch. too bad they don't sell that stuff. We could not hold in another bite, so we took our boysenberry pie slices to go. P had to take his huge bag of leftovers to the car. It would not fit in our humongous stroller. We were surprised that SS's child meal included a full size slice of pie. We still have a slice in the fridge, and we are finishing it off after dinner today.
Baba with his little devil, brute, heathen, Angel.
After dusk, Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular begins. We were tired, but had promised SS that we would see it, but briefly. They convert Camp Snoopy into a show of lights and music, and it is simply spectacular. We thought SS was going to hop out of the stroller and get down and boogie. Nope, she remained in the stroller, a clear indication that she was exhausted. We decided to walk around a little then head home.
SS did hop out of the stroller as soon as she saw Snoopy. That girl has had a lot of face time with him. One thing I like about Knott's is that it is so different from Disneyland, in terms of accessibility to the characters. SS has been able to hug Snoopy on every visit so far.
I was completely bummed out that I thought I had filmed their interaction, because I know SS would have loved to watch it over and over. I suck at camera work. SS excitedly showed Snoopy her Woodstock, and told him it was a gift from Aunt Michelle (apparently Snoopy knows everyone). Snoopy took the toy and hugged it, then started walking away. I worried that SS was going to cry, but she just followed him and mentioned that it was hers. Snoopy placed Woodstock on his bird house, something I had not noticed being there before. SS was beaming, it was a really beautiful moment.
As tired as she was, SS began to wail when we told her we were going home. We could not have cared less. It was a long, fun day. P seemed pleased, and that is all that mattered to me. SS fell asleep on the way home, and P successfully got her into her bed. Good, because I was not in the mood for a crying fit, or having her asking to come to bed with us. P fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Darn I wish I could be like that. Not a bad Father's Day.
SS is not spending much time in her backyard, much to our chagrin. SS has discovered bugs, yep, those annoying creatures that have certainly been a part of her life since coming home, and I'm sure before as well. It does not matter, she is deadly afraid of bugs and has a meltdown whenever she sees one. Her definition of bugs makes things more difficult, because she includes flies, mosquitoes, dust particles... SS decided to fight back, and that she's been doing with gusto much to our amusement. She is fighting back by killing them, I could say squashing them, but SS prefers the word killing. She happily stomps on bugs (including harmless ants), stomps on or bashes them with an object. She then proudly looks up, smiles and proclaims, "I killed it, I killed the bug Mama/Baba." It's better than her having a nuclear meltdown. Since she has not started any fires nor wets her bed, we are not terribly concerned. But if PETA gets a hold of this info, she's going to be in a world of trouble. Those pacifists can be brutal.
For a while now, SS has been carrying her foam pirate sword on her back. P jokes that she is lousy at concealing a weapon. Yesterday SS added a new weapon to her arsenal, the fly swatter, but to SS it's The Bug Killer. We were in the backyard watching her swatting away at anything that moved in the air, or on the ground.
Last night was SS's third night in her bed. For the last three mornings she has awaken unusually early. SS is only out of bed early on Sundays because of DB practice. The rest of the week we just let her be. She comes into bed to cuddle with me while P showers, and I can tell how this transition is affecting SS. She's always been a cuddle bug, but when she snuggled between us, she simply shifted closer to me when P left the bed, and hardly ever woke up. These three mornings she has come to bed, between 5:45-6:00, and asked for a cuddle. She then presses her nose against mine, and caresses my face. After a while I can feel her little body relax, then her trademark snoring. Fifteen minutes later she rolls over and is in deep sleep. She was emotional during and after the move, but the past three days she has certainly turned it up a notch. We did not think that was possible.
Yesterday I woke up dizzy, with a sore throat, ear pain, high fever, and overall yuckiness. Today I'm a bit better, but still feel yucky, and a yucky Mama, and hypersensitive SS are not a good combination. All I want to do is rest and get to practice tomorrow. Even if I'm not up to paddling, it'll feel good to be there. We are really enjoying, and looking forward to Sundays, it's good for the soul. I'll throw in Saturdays for SS and I, because even though P is at work, SS and I shop, and get the van and equipment ready for Sunday. Towels, bathing suits, PFDs, food, drinks, and stroller to get ready. Really loving our Sundays.
Our tiny five year old is on her way to the real world of kindergarten. Wow, I had no idea it would be this difficult. Then again, I have had that little bugger attached to my hip for four years next month. As happy as I am with P's working conditions, satisfaction with his job, and salary increase, this is part of why this transition has been so difficult for me. Add to that the distance from JJ, and it feels like I'm losing my kids at once. That probably explains why at times I feel miserable. It's like everyone is moving on, and I'm still in the same place I was four years ago. There are also many changes I desperately need to make, so far without success. I wish I could talk to Mami, I know she would help me sort things out. It really sucks to lose your parents before adulthood.
On a positive note, SS has spent two nights in her room. She's been up much earlier than usual, and just hops in bed with me for a cuddle, then goes back to sleep. We can live with that. Last night, as we were basking in the comfort of not sharing a bed with a hyper SS, P asked me if I thought it would last long. It will, if we grow a spine and make it happen. The novelty of the new bed will wear off, but we kept our part by getting her her dream bed, SS needs to understand that our room is that, ours. I do foresee kicking and screaming, and sleepless nights. Such is life with kids.
I am K, married to P, and mother to JJ. We are a family of three, impatiently waiting to become a family of four, via adoption from China. Of course it is a girl, what else could we want. We are creating this blog to keep our family and friends updated on our lives, then our journey to China. We should be united with S in January 2007, and right now it seems like an eternity.
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