Out With the Old

We have been looking for a sofa set on Craigslist for months now. Finally, Darren found something we liked, and Saturday he picked up our new sofa & chair. The new set really fills up the living room- a big contrast from our old sofa (which was Darren's from before we met). I was a little sad to see the old sofa go because it had been with us for so long, but the new set is very nice: more practical and really comfy!

Let's take a moment to say "goodbye" to our old sofa!

And, now "hello" to the new!

Madagascar Live!

Kyrie and I spent a great Saturday morning attending "Madagascar Live!" at the Palace Theater. We arrived at the theater early enough to explore the beautiful interior. Kyrie loved the beautiful chandeliers and marveled at the ornate fireplace in the ladies' restroom.

I got a great deal on really good seats, so we were Row F on the floor, as close to the stage as I have ever been for a show. The show was bright and active with lots of cute costumes. Kyrie is very familiar with the "Madagascar" films, so she knew the whole story. At the end of the show, they had the audience up on their feet and dancing. It was by no means captivating theater, but it was a very fun show for kids. Both Darren and I have really enjoyed taking Kyrie on these special outings!

Color Me Mine

We had a particularly busy week last week and Wednesday was the busiest day of that week. Between dance class, errands, lunch and Degen's doctor appointment I found myself with 2 travel-worn kids and 45 minutes with nothing to do. Spotting a Color Me Mine pottery painting shop, I decided that I had found just the right distraction.

After checking in with the clerk to see if we did indeed have enough time, I took the kids in so that they could pick out something to paint. Kyrie chose a princess figurine, and we chose a racecar bank for Degen. We picked out paints and an assortment of paintbrushes, and the kids got to work! Both kids had a lot of fun, though Degen was done after about 10 minutes. Kyrie really took a lot of time with her painting. She did a great job! I'm looking forward to picking up their finished pieces this week!

Still Our Little Man

Today was Degen's Two-Year Check-Up. We found out that he has a double-ear infection. In the past, I have wondered if he was having issues with his ears because when he wakes during the night, he will often have his fingers in them like they are itchy or something. BUT he rarely runs a temperature, and even when he does it always resolves itself within hours to a day or two, so I have never taken the incidents to the doctor. We have the absolute BEST pediatrician ever because as I was apologizing for not realizing the situation, she gave me an "Oh, I've done it before. Don't worry about it." (Seriously, she is just awesome: she never gives unsolicited advice, never questions my parenting or makes me doubt that I'm doing just what I should be doing, loves my kids, encourages & supports us without fail.) She gave us a prescription (Degen's first) for Amoxicillin, and I hope that he is feeling better soon... and please, please sleeping through the night again(could this be one of the reasons he's such a bad sleeper?!?).

Height:

33"
(15%-ile)

Weight:
22 1/2 lbs
(< 3%-ile)

1 Vaccination

Flu-Mist

Despite the ear infection, Degen is active, healthy and (generally) happy! Though he remains small for his age group, he is progressing just as he should in all areas! 

Party On!

Today we had Degen's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Last night we started to get ice & snow, and I was worried that everyone would have trouble getting to the party, but we all made it. It was a fun morning with our playgroup friends!

First, we played, played, played:

Then we ate, ate, ate:



Next came the cake and celebrating the birthday boy:

He had a lot of fun being the star of the birthday show! He clapped and danced and enjoyed his moment in the spotlight!

AND Chuck E. Cheese:

 "The Sisters!" All our beautiful girls! Pretty in pink!

Finally, a turn in the Ticket Blaster. We had 30 seconds to catch as many tickets as we could. I was worried that Degen might get scared by all the wind and noise and blowing tickets, but he did a great job! We caught lots of tickets!

 

I love this photo! While everyone else went off to play and watch the fun at the Ticket Blaster, our friend Adam stayed at the table to finish his cake! That's my kinda boy! Such a cutie!

Candyland Express

Here is the candy train cake I made for Degen's birthday party. It took 4 cans of frosting to put it all together! Whew! Though I made a few mistakes that made it more difficult for me to get some of the decorating done, this was a pretty fun cake to make. It was a yummy one, too!

Another Piece of the Puzzle

I am so proud of all the things that my big boy can do! Most often I think of him as my little baby, but he is growing up and accomplishing a lot of learning each day. He is saying more words, including animal sounds. He can also point to most of the parts of his body upon request and can follow some simple instructions. During lesson time, he counts along 1 to 10 and when he sees letters he will mimic a recitation. He is also showing mastery of a lot of large- and small-gross motor skills like using crayons and putting together puzzles. This is an amazing time for discovery, and I can't wait to see what Degen learns to do next!

Spring Anticipation

This has been a long, cold winter! We were so happy to see the sunshine and some warmer temperatures this week. The snow that we've had on the ground for weeks finally melted, and we were able to leave our heavy coats in the closet when we headed out. Unfortunately, our warmest days were also sick days for Kyrie. She caught a bad cold and held onto a fever for the latter half of the week. I was disappointed that we didn't get to spend time outside at a park or the zoo or taking a picnic. Degen couldn't resist the sunshine and ventured out to play while Sissy napped one morning. He has gotten to be such a brave & independent boy!

Lend a Paw

Finally, someone comes around to help me fold all the laundry!



In Case You Missed It...

Degen is most certainly 2 years old!

He has combined his fondness for climbing into the bathroom sinks with a newfound love of art: he climbs onto the bathroom vanity and uses a bar of soap to draw on the mirror. What a rascal!



All Aboard the Birthday Express

One of Degen's birthday gifts from Mommy & Daddy was more battery-operated trains for his collection. We only had two and with one out of commission, we could barely keep the batteries going in the remaining train. We ordered three more battery-operated trains for his birthday.

In anticipation of these gifts, I built a large track in the playroom before dinner. As soon as the trains were out of their boxes and fitted with batteries, we headed downstairs to try them out on the track. It was the perfect end to a very happy birthday!

Degen Takes the Cake

Degen was excited for his birthday cake as soon as he saw me decorating it the day before! His Thomas the Cake Engine was a lot of fun to put together and became the true highlight of Degen's birthday- just as the birthday cake should be! Alight with candles, the boy was beyond delighted with the vision before him. His reaction filled me with joy!

Our FAVORITE picture! Degen made this face twice as we sang "Happy Birthday" to him, and I was so glad that I was able to capture it on film. It's like he can't open his eyes wide enough to take in the whole birthday cake spectacle!