Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Chili in & Chilly out


Have you ever tried to dress a peek-a-boo toddler? It's challenging to put a sweater on someone who insists on playing peek-a-boo with almost everything. Running into the living room naked with her hoodie towel, pulling it over her eyes going a little farther, then pulling it up and saying, "WHOOO!" As if she's surprising herself where she ends up next.
Little turdlets, yes turdlets, in a trail on the floor 'cause I let her run about a little too long after bathtime. Easy cleanup though, at least it's not diarrhea!

This past weekend Gary tried to sleep in, I didn't close the bedroom door completely...Fiona went and got the noisiest toy she has, the popcorn popper, and dragged it into the bedroom then proceeded to pop-pop-poppity-pop-POP-POP-pop! I laughed and laughed as Gary remarked that it's possible she did it with purpose. *smart baby!*
She likes to play with her shoes, putting them on then making a point of taking me to the door, or the closet where the stroller is, to say "hey, lets go outside, mom!" It's hard to explain that she can't go out in just her pj's and shoes, no matter how cute she is!

She says Mammy or Mamma. Yesterday, I heard her in her room calling me and when I didn't go in there fast enough (I'm still getting used to responding to Mamma), she made an exasperated sound and came to get me, grabbed my hand to lead me to her frustrations. Just now she's beginning to say Papa, although it's more like Bah-bha, she'll sign something instead of trying to say it. So I've begun making distinction between them, "Yes, that's the sign for Papa, now can you say 'Papa'?"

Fall officially, uh, fell on Sunday! I'm trying to expand my weather-mind, I've gotten so used to it being warm ALL the time where the chillys only come temporarily. I have to remind myself that this isn't a passing thing, it will only get cooler from here on out--until May or so. I'm faced with a whole new set of logistical problems in dressing Fiona. It's an almost constant worry that she's too hot or too cold. Layers, layers, and more layers I suppose is the key. At least I know she'll try to take something off if she's hot.

We spent equinox at the Denver Broncos game against the Jaguars. We lost, it was great fun though, I had a brat & beer, we cheered and boo-ed with the best of them. A family of 4 sitting in front of us, parents with grown kids, were really into it. They'd jump up & give high-fives all around when The Broncos made something happen out there. Fiona was concerned when we first got to our seats, then relaxed, and only started signing 'all done' at half time. I knew she would prefer to leave when she fussed some returning to our seats after the diaper change, when I sang, "Lets go, Bron-cos!" to the amusement of other ladies in the loo. Next time we'll take the light rail, or do park & ride bus, this time it was a taxi--and taxis are difficult to come by immediately after a football game!

After an entire day last week of concentrated organizing, sifting, & storing, all of my things are sorted. I lack only to put away my clothes properly, I'm tempted to just toss everything that's summery, which is most of it, then I can have some fun for winter & next spring. I've even started working on Fiona's 1st year scrapbook--finally! I wanted it to be her first birthday gift, I guess she'll never really know how belated a gift it is, unless I remind her!

HEY, WOW, THE LEAVES ARE A CHANGIN'!! We went to Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, we plan to go again end of this week and will remember the camera card this time. Did you know if you wash n' dry a SanDisk it will most like be OK afterward? I was more than pleasantly surprised! Got a membership to the NPS and look forward to going to all the parks within driving distance as mush as possible to get to know the seasons. I might even volunteer some time with them.
I miss my brother & sister, Mom & Pop, and everyone who is familial-like to me, but then I always get this way during the fall. I would love to hear from you all, or see you if you should happen by on the way somewhere, or even if you want to see some neato flame colored trees or do some fly-fishing or hunting. Much love, eat some chili when it's chilly!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Mayhem

The place is a wreck, and understandably so! The entire weekend is devoted to unpacking and assessing damages. The movers that pulled everything out of the house in Roseville were, um, less than careful it seems. I wonder what our new (as of May) furniture will look like after yet another move--'cause we know when we buy a house it'll be a three-peat.
Unpacking with a Toddlator scampering about is a challenge, more so when she's suddenly tired or hungry and mommy-needy. There is a LOT of work to be done. It's Sunday though so it calls for pancakes and football, maybe I can get some packing done between them.
Baby girl seems to appreciate her toys out of the boxes now, her favorite right now is a tapping game I shipped from Moolka Toysite. This morning she dragged the bear & lion around that I'd had in storage for over a year now. She really likes music, and appears she is beginning to 'pretend' with items. I am so excited for Christmas-time! I've already got a bunch of gift ideas for Fiona. The fall weather has almost arrived, a few leaves on one or two trees we've seen have turned, maybe a little prematurely, but it's exciting just the same. Well, back to UN-packing, just wanted to blurb a bit!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Just had to add...

These things I thought I just had to share!
Our first piece of furniture is in the "condo", just counting the hours until the rest appears. We've a place for the mega-TV now, Gary is pleased. I look forward to watching other people do the lifting, twisting, figuring how to get furniture into this place...that's why they're professionals!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Things to do in Denver...with a TODDLER


The Denver Children's Museum is awesome! We thoroughly enjoyed watching Fiona play, and interact with some other kiddos. The play-scape is amazing, there's practically a whole kid village in there, and a real live fire truck--modified of course so little ones can climb, "drive", & flash the lights w/ siren. There are parks everywhere. We live nearest Washington Park, a very large landscape with jogging trails, 2 large ponds, flower garden, bike path...etc. Yesterday Fiona got t o chase a couple of the Canada geese, then slide & swing. There's a super modern park downtown I look forward to visiting. Invesco Field at Mile High is that direction, Gary purchased football tickets for 2 games coming up, so we will finally get to see a live Broncos game AND it'll be "football weather" as Gary calls it. So often while in Hawaii we'd watch the games and think about fall, how we missed seasons changing---well, changing more drastically than the ever-so-subtle changes on the islands. So we're excited to be back.

We also had a family visit to the dentist yesterday, it's been 5 years since I last had my teeth cleaned (I was supposed to go back to the dentist that filled my teeth for a cleaning but we moved), maybe longer for Gary. There are neat cleaning instruments now that make things go quicker, and the doc says that my fillings are probably ok since the sensitivity has improved in the last couple of months.

OUR STUFF is supposedly due here Thursday night or Friday morning. How wonderful it will be to sleep on a real bed, go for a run with the jogger, put Fiona in her highchair, have some more choices in clothing, make coffee, cook with my pans & eat off actual plates with actual silverware. Today, however, we expect arrival of a fantastic piece of furniture from the Crate&Barrel, specifically for Gary's big TV. I'm apprehensive about arranging furniture in here and making decisions about what will stay versus what will go into storage. We're still not sure that Julia (landlady) is willing to sell the place or not, I do not look forward to moving everything yet again if she decides not to sell. Cannot worry about what might happen though, that's what makes people crazy I think!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Newest Residents of CO...finally!


Well we are installed in the new place & we're camping indoors for now. On the day that the movers were to come, the truck broke down--before they picked up our stuff. So, the furniture, the highchair, the TV (Gary), a vast majority of our clothes, and many other smaller oddities I wish we had here & there, will not arrive until middle of next week. A great friend, & earthbound-angel , Jackie, was generous enough to babysit the movers when they did arrive to load everything up, and even then there are things that were left behind that we've decisions to make for shipping. Moving is a punishment of sorts, if you ever really want to punish someone, make them move--then make 'em move AGAIN. :)

Maybe I should start a moving resale service, "Go ahead and pack only what you need and we'll sell the rest!" But, we take responsibility for the tortures we inflict on ourselves, it is in fact entirely our choice after all!

We have Colorado plates and drivers' licenses, have utility bills, and finally today we have the staple means of communication. Sitting on the floor in the house, reading, baby practices running & torturing Porter-kitty, until we've nothing left to read (and the rest of the books won't be here for another week). Eee-gads, how we've come to depend on our electronic devices! We did watch the entire first season of ROME, it was the only series in Target that both Gary & I could agree we were interested in at all. I can safely say we recommend it.

On our way here the first day was hard driving, the second was shorter but Fiona & I were definitely ready to be OUT OF THE CAR. Fiona adjusted to Denver without complaint, Gary & I had to take some time to get used to the elevation, sleepy fuzzy-headedness has passed & we're peachy keen now. It's cute when I go to grab Fiona from the pack n' play in the morning it seems as if she thinks we're leaving again, she hands me Bunny, Blankie, Raffe, & The Quilt. When we look through her Bright Baby 100 words book, she points out the crib and looks at me questioningly & with longing, I think. She's begun to talk a little, and baby signs are prominent right now. Little one is precocious, stubborn, really wants to do her own thing all the time--I know, it's weird, right? Who'd have thought this of our babe?
Thanks to Grammy for Fiona's care package, her new favorite sparkly-farm animals book & Scottish Nippers booties as modeled in current pic above. Would love to hear from anyone/everyone!
Be a Super Mom - Cloth Diaper with FuzziBunz diapers at Nurtured Family
Mama Bargains - Are you hooked yet?