Disney on Ice

After a couple not-so-great weeks of illness and car issues (a hit & run at the rear of the van and falling ice damage to the hood), I perked up when I saw a commercial for Disney on Ice. We had never been, but tickets didn't seem too expensive, so I got on-line to find out more. After finding a coupon code, I made our purchase for lower-level seats, Sunday afternoon.
After a horrible night with Degen (over-tired, he woke screaming nearly every hour), we had to rush out of the house to make lunch and the show. Our plans for lunch didn't go quite as planned because of the show crowd, but ended up even tastier with a change in venue. Then we headed for the arena. Kyrie sat on Darren's lap and I held Degen. After about a 15 minute wait, the show began. It was exciting from the start, a revue of some of Disney's best which included most of Kyrie's favorite characters. I frequently turned to watch her face bathed in the technicolor glow of the stage lights, she was entranced sometimes singing along to her favorite princess songs. Darren and I would hold glances and smile at our children's delight. The costumes were wonderful, the skating impressive and the cotton candy expensive ($10 for a bag with a bonus Mickey Mouse ear crown). It was a great afternoon!
The best part came after bath this evening when instead of pajamas Kyrie brought me her Alice in Wonderland dress. "Hurry, Mommy, the show's about to start, the princesses are waiting for me." As I zipped up her dress and tied the bow on the apron, she excitedly told me that she was ready to skate in the show with the other princesses. She ran and got a pair of dress-up shoes that would be her skates. Then found a space of wood floor not covered by a rug and started to "skate." The perfect end to a great experience!

In the Shower

So, I decided to jump in the shower this morning before Degen's doctor's appointment. Degen was a little fussy (it's been a rough couple of weeks what with teething & a nasty virus), but I thought he'd be okay with a little bit of television and lots of toys & books. Of course, that lasted for as long as it took me to get into the shower. He made his way into the bathroom and calmed down when he heard me. He was content enough to pull at the shower curtain and babble.
Kyrie wandered into the bathroom as I was lathering up my hair, and said "I could babysit him for you so you can have some time to yourself." I immediately thought that it could end badly, but hate to encourage her from a) offering to help others and b) showing a positive interest in spending time with her little brother. So, I told her that she should show him his books & toys and I would be out soon. As she picked him up and carried him out of the bathroom, he started crying, of course. I heard her tell him, "Degen, you just need to stop being so interested in your momma." His crying intensified and as soon as she put him down, he made his way back into the bathroom and now he was furious.
No longer would he be content babbling on the outside of the shower curtain. He tugged and pulled at the curtain and his cries became howls of "momma, momma, momma." He was able to pull back the curtain to see me and water misted around him. I tried to soothe him with gentle talk and wet kisses, but an injustice had been done and he refused to be placated. He moved his way closer to me until the mist from the shower soaked his hair and upper body all the while crying "momma." I gave up on the idea of shaving my legs and hurried to finish washing my hair and body. Wrapped in a towel, I could finally pick him up and his cries slowed, and he played at drawing out his "mommas" so that bubbles would form between his lips. The whole scenario was further drawn out by the fact that I would not actually be able to go out in just a towel.
Later at the pediatrician's office, I would hear many comments about what a happy baby I had. Yes, as long as I don't try to take a shower.

Our Little Man

Degen had his one year appointment today! He is a healthy & happy baby! Here are his numbers:

Height: 29 1/4 inches (30%ile)
Weight: 18 lbs. 3 oz (3%ile)

He also got two vaccinations and had his finger pricked to check his hemoglobin levels (normal) and lead.

Ballet & More

It has been almost a year since Kyrie started ballet at the community center. I would like to say that she is the most delicate and graceful almost-four year old ballerina that I have ever seen- a true dancing prodigy, but that wouldn't be the exact truth. Kyrie is still working out all the kinks in understanding how to get her body to do what the teacher demonstrates. There are lots of pesky details in ballet like putting your heels together and bending your limbs just so, and sometimes she comes running across the classroom with cries of "I just can't do it." I think that she gets this from me: both the frustration and the difficulty in getting your body to do exactly what you want the way you want.


So, ballet class is mostly a time when she gets to run around on her tiptoes with other little girls in tutus. These exuberant tiptoe runs around the classroom while the teacher calls out, "Point your toes. Straight knees. And twirl" are a highlight and staple of our ballet experience. I'm thankful that her teacher understands what these girls are ready for, even when our mother-dreams imagine more. Still, Kyrie has learned a lot of things like how to point her toes and curtsy. She also knows some ballet terms and practices waiting in line and raising her hand. I don't know if Kyrie will ever be the ballerina that she dreams to be watching "Barbie in the Nutcracker," but I do know that she is learning the foundations she needs for lots of other really great things she might decide to do or be.

Sick!

We've been dealing with a yucky virus since at least last Wednesday. It could be earlier than that because Degen was teething, and I first blamed everything on that. By Thursday afternoon, I knew that Degen was actually sick and a few hours later, Kyrie was sick, too. I started getting sick a few days ago. We've been dealing with fevers (Kyrie's peaked at 105), fatigue, coughing, fussiness, headaches, tummy aches, etc. We ended up passing along our virus to some of our playgroup friends, proof that Kyrie can share! So, it's been a week and I'd say that I'm sick & tired in a figurative sense, but it literally is true. My poor kids! Degen will just stop and lay down on the floor periodically.
I think that we've turned the corner, but nobody is feeling altogether well yet. After one of our friends was diagnosed with Croup, I called a nurse at our pediatrician's office. She said that Croup was just a body's reaction to a virus, so my kiddos didn't necessarily have it. We've been cooped up in the house for a long time, so I also asked how long a quarantine was necessary, and she said that as long as we've been fever-free for 24 hours, we can get out. Not that we really feel up to getting out, but Kyrie starts her next session of ballet and a new class at the rec center tomorrow. I think that I will give her some meds in the morning to help with any lingering symptoms and try to get us out of the house for a few hours. On Friday, Degen will have his well-baby check-up, and we'll talk to the doctor if the kids still aren't feeling well. (Not sure what I'll do if I'm still not feeling well!)
Yes, it just hasn't been a great couple of weeks for us overall. Last Friday evening, while I was at the grocery store (because I couldn't go during the day when the kids were sick) some shoplifters hit the back of our mini-van with their car while fleeing the scene. Then earlier this week, giant blocks of ice fell off our roof and dented the hood of the same vehicle pretty badly. Needless to say, we're pretty disappointed at our misfortune. I guess I'm still hoping that the shoplifters will get caught and have insurance to pay for that damage, but I don't know how likely that is. So, we are definitely feeling like we've had our share of it for the entire month... the entire year even!
Good news that Degen now has 8 teeth!!!

Degen's First Birthday!

Degen's first birthday party was the day before his birthday! We had a fun party play date with our friends from playgroup. Everyone had a great time! On his birthday, big sister, Kyrie, helped him open his presents in the morning. What a lucky boy to get so many great gifts! We also went to the rec center for a little swimming. Unfortunately, by the afternoon, Degen was not feeling well and running a low-grade temperature, so we had to postpone cake until the weekend. He still wasn't 100% then, but enjoyed the singing and licking frosting from his fingers. We are looking forward to another super year with Degen!

Let's Begin

I am beginning the process of combining both Babies Online pages into one blog page. I'm hoping that it will be easier for me to maintain one page, as opposed to two, which should allow for everyone out there who is keeping up with my kiddos even more information about their activities, etc. Please bear with me as I learn the ins & outs of this new format.