Its been a while again...

It seems like I'm always behind. I was looking through my recent blog posts & realized I hadn't devoted one to the kids lately. So all of you out there who enjoy reading about their antics are about to get a thrill!

So Christmas was awesome for both Simon & Rachel. Simon of course has reached that magic age where he can anticipate, but he doesn't fully understand the concept yet. His presents from us were high $$: a John Deere pedal combine complete with corn header & a 20 piece set of Pixar/Disney Cars (all the main characters from the movie except Mac). We tricked him with the combine. Andrew wrapped only the header & left the rest of it in the building until Christmas morning. Simon knew he was getting the combine (thanks to Andrew), so when he saw the size of the box he was puzzled to say the least. Then when he opened it & saw this two feet of corn header & nothing to put it one, he was flabbergasted. He was running around checking under the tree to make 'Santa' hadn't forgotten the rest of it. Then Andrew wheeled the big thing in the living room. I thought Simon was going to fly across the room! Its a bit to big for him to pedal right now, both weight & pedal length, but that's great because it'll last him longer. The other day he spontaneously burst into singing "In excelsis Deo" only it sounded more like "In Chelsea's day-o". It was absoultely precious!

We're playing again at potty training. This time we've made a chart w/ characters from Disney/Pixar Cars on it. Each potty activity has a line where he can collect stickers. We've told him that when he fills up a line he'll get a new car. He's gotten better than he was, he doesn't scream & cry when I try to make him sit or stand by the potty. The other day he stood in front of the potty on command & peed! We were already on our way to town, so we took him to the tractor store in the mall to get a new tractor. The catch is that he doesn't get the tractor if he pees in his pants/pull-up. We've also been letting him just wear his pants w/o a pull-up or underwear in the afternoons after nap. The goal is to get him to be self-aware again. I think he's been in the pull-ups for so long he's forgotten the consequence of peeing on himself. So I'm hoping his neat-freak ideas will help potty-train him!

Rachel's home Christmas probably wasn't as wonderful for her as her grandmother Christmases. She loves the noise and activity of everyone gathered together. She loves the other kids and wrestling around with them. She's walking very well now, so she teetered along after the big kids trying to get into trouble. Of course, since she's the little diva, she had at least 2 ward-robe changes per celebration. If I do say so myself, she looked fab in everything! Her most favorite present right now has got to be her Violet the puppy LeapFrog stuffed animal. We've 'taught' it her name, favorite color, food, & animal. We've also 'taught' it some of her favorite songs. Otherwise, she's more into the people around her than her toys, so the gifts didn't make a huge impression on her.

She's got to be the most engaging baby I've ever seen. At this point in her life she sounds like one of those Indian singing girls or a yodeler when she 'talks'. She runs through the house yodelling at the top of her lungs. She's got good lungs too! More and more of her personality keeps coming through. I thought she was quite laid-back as a baby, but now as a toddler she's developed a distinct 'want-it-right-now' attitude. She'll pick up her empty sippy cup & scream/grunt at you until you get up to refill it. Now, I'm sure the grandma's would disagree & say she's just a perfect angel (I get that a lot), but that's what she does at home. She's also been showing me she's ready for bed lately by wandering into her room. She comes back out & looks at me, then toddles right back in there. She must be growing too because she's eating *everything* in sight & sleeping quite a bit. I have not found a food yet that she doesn't like. We laugh & say we probably don't even need to cook it (something like oatmeal) because she can put away so much food with gusto!

Together they are at times exasperating and entertaining. They love each other so much, yet already display some of the famed sibling rivalry. They compete for Andrew's devotion. If one is in his lap, the other starts whining for his attention too. Sometimes we can set their sibling rivalry against them, for instance, Simon will eat better if he thinks I'm going to give Rachel his left-overs. At this point, Simon is showing his instigation skills while Rachel is showing her tattle-taling skills. Simon will lead her somewhere they both know we don't want them & Rachel will grunt &/or cry until we come get them both. She'll also spontaneously burst into tears even when Simon's well away from her (& didn't have anything to do with her falling down). I'm so glad I've been blessed with such individuals!

Temperament

I took this quiz & got Melancholic as my result... What are you?

 

http://www.fisheaters.com/quizm.html

 

Oh No!!!

Just the other day I got a letter in the mail from MD Anderson. In that letter was the notification that my plastic surgeon is leaving December 17th. I realize that sounds kind of superficial, whining about my plastic surgeon leaving, but the plastic surgery is the primary component of my treatment that's supposed to make me look 'normal' again. I have gone to a plastic surgeon in Louisville - for follow-up and fills - but his vision and methods for my reconstruction were *VERY* different than those of the doctor in Houston. Since the reconstruction is actually what I'm going to live with for at minimal 10 years (baring unforseen complications), it is *really* important to me that the final results be as close to my 'normal' as possible as well as maybe improving things a bit. I would have had my reconstruction finished by now if my gynecology oncological surgery hadn't gone so poorly and if I hadn't required another emergency surgery a month later. However, I can't change the past, so I was looking forward to the fabulous results I thought the plastic surgeon in Houston could give me. Actually, at this point I'm kind of considering staying local for the plastics part if I'm going to have to break in a new doctor anyway. I actually have my Houston doctor's pager number & he's willing to speak to me on the phone about that option. I'm going to call today!

In other news, my first *real* day at work was a success. Wednesday I was in Frankfort for a meeting, so while I was technically working, it wasn't really my day-to-day tasks. However, yesterday I arrived at my home-away-from-home and after updating my office with photos of the kids, a statue of St. Peregrine, & a holy card, I began my work in earnest. I spent much of the day trying contact the various investigating officers in charge of my cases. However, I did actually work a case as well! Its actually quite a relief to be back to doing my normal things. I don't feel quite as useless and out-of-touch.

Meanwhile, the kids were with mom. She had them doing crafts - clothespin angels - as well as playing as usual. It was *very* heartwarming to go pick them up last night. Both of them came running, well Rachel tried to run, to the door exclaiming for me. Simon was actually saying "Mommy". Rachel says "momma" when I'm not around, but when I arrive she either gibbers or says "nana" or "dada". I don't know why neither of my babies (at this age) will call me by "momma". Its amazing how quickly Rachel has learned to walk and even try to run. She still staggers like a drunk at times and falls frequently. However, the staggering and falling is abating. She's making great strides!

While I was driving home and picking up the kids, Andrew, aka Mr. Househusband, was cooking supper. I arrived home with the kids to a clean house and food on the table! Whoot, whoot!!! I also saw his handsome face! ;-) Like Mater from Cars, "I knowed I made a good choice!" We all spent the evening playing. All in all, my 1st day back was not as traumatic as I was dreading!