Lock Out

Locks are great. Too many locks can be a nuisance. While in California, we both got into the habit of not using keys at all, since we had a garage, it was too easy to enter through there with use of garage door openers.
Since we moved in, October-ish, I locked myself out of this apartment 3 times by December. Once, Gary was on his way home luckily. Another time, Fiona was napping, and luckily one rear window and screen were both open. The last time, I only left my keys in the back door, locked both Fiona & I out of the outer door, a neighbor was arriving home so she let us in. To be clear, I have 5 keys for this place. Back door stairwell, and apartment rear door, front stairwell and apartment front door, the last one for the carriage house/garage. Then a little one to grow on for the mail box.
Today, UPS buzzed, I went out the front to sign for delivery, the front door blew shut. Fiona was in her room listening to Music Together cd and looking at books. I'm not even sure she knew what happened 'cause that is exactly what she was doing when I got back inside. The whole thing lasted about 10 minutes or less. Joe-the-UPS-guy, god bless him, let me use his phone---my memory for the new phone numbers is sketchy at best. Technology is so easy now, all I need is the voice dial on my phone, never an actual phone number. I had even called and visited our landlady this morning and couldn't conjure her number, she wasn't listed either. So, Joe-the-super-UPS-guy sticks around to make sure I get back inside, he let me use his keys to rip the back screen, unlatch the hooks, and climb inside. Thank goodness I had the windows open this morning!
And as I said, Fiona was completely oblivious to the ordeal, I washed my hands from my ape-like antics and joined her in her room. (I'm lucky we're only on the first-n'-a-half floor.)

On an entirely separate note, there has been poop in the the little Christmas potty. Also, like the pee-pee incident, I believe a fluke. Immediately after a nap, I asked Fiona if she wanted to sit on the pot, she assented, and a little while later, voila! Poo in the pot! Gary & I applauded, she seemed non-plussed, I think the connection is beginning though. I've read that kids can't make the connection that they are making the poo & pee until they've seen it happen. So, I dunno, it's progress. Given the right timing and my rapt attention to her bodily processes (like most moms, I suppose) I'm trying to make a point of "catching" her before she poops, and getting her on the potty. But, again, it's a process, and I understand.

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!

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!

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!

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!