Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog

Welcome to the family lil Gus.

First of all, it's a big responsibility, so think long and hard before deciding on love.

On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security: when you're walking down the street late at night and you have a leash on love ain't no one going to mess with you.Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable. Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm.  It lies between you and lives and breathes and makes funny noises.

Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.

It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for long.

But come home and love is always happy to see you.

It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life, but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.  Love leaves you little surprises here and there. Love needs lots of cleaning up after.

Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.

Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper and swat love on the nose, not so much to cause pain, just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk because love loves exercise.  It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.  It pulls you in several different directions at once, or winds around and around you until you're all wound up and can't move.  But love makes you meet people wherever you go.  People who have nothing in common but love stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away and love will bring them back, again, and again, and again.

But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.

And in return, love loves you and never stops.

Show Mommy how the little piggie eats!

Natalie loves to eat.  And I mean LOVES.  The more time I spend around other kids at meal time, the more I realize that she is not a normal eater because there really are very few foods that this little piggie won't eat.  And I'm pretty sure that she would sit in her high chair all day and eat if you continued to put food in front of her.

Here is a brief glimpse of tonight's dinner (baked beans, peas and cottage cheese with peaches) activities...

http://youtu.be/y1BfnRu1YOk

Natalie is finally walking!!

Lil Miss Natalie was in no hurry to walk independently but after a few weeks of being the only kid who wasn't walking independently in the big-kid toddler room...she's a walker! 

Previously she had taken a handful of steps for people other than mom and dad (i.e. her teachers at school, the babysitter while we were in Texas, etc.) and then started doing 4-5 steps for mom or dad, but this was the first time I managed to catch her on video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luKtzNKx3uE

Annual family trip to Dallas

We took our annual Memorial Day trip to Dallas this year to visit Mark, Meridith, Riley and to meet our newest nephew, Dylan.

As a reward for getting good grades in 5th grade (all A's and only three B's), Scott took Katie to Six Flags Over Texas for the day while Mark and Meridith were at work.

See kid, good grades do pay off!

Katie was not quite so excited to ride the Texas Giant, but she did and ended up really enjoying it.  But she was a bit nervous while waiting in line.  I think she probably had a little too much time to think about it.

This is the same non-excited face I recall seeing before entering the Moray Eel exhibit at Sea World.

Daddy in front of the Boot Scootin' kiddie ride.

Sadly, this was about as much fun as Katie would have on this trip.  The day after going to Six Flags she came down with some sort of fever-bug that kept her in bed for the next 3 days.  Huge bummer. 

The 4 of us adults were able to convince Mark and Meridith's nanny to watch all the kids so we could get out on Saturday night for drinks, dinner and a concert.  For more on that.... http://hayesyearofbeer.blogspot.com/2012/06/meddlesome-moth-and-dirk-nowitzki.html

But on the flip side, it forced us to stay home and just chill more with the kids rather than run around here or there.  Sadly though, there were not too many photos snapped on this trip.

Riley shows Natalie the ropes with his water play table.

Riley and Natalie washing dishes at his outdoor kid BBQ

The only picture I have of the 4 of them together.

April showers...

We managed to do a lot this April.  Visits from Aunt Adrienne, every day shenanigans, Gus' first trip to the dog park, Gus' last trip to that dog park, Natalie's 1st birthday, Whit's new job with City of Chandler (indoor cycle instructor), Scott's Whiskey Off-Road bike race, etc.

Here's a slideshow of all the pictures I captured on my cell phone in April....



Click on the picture to open another window that will allow you to scroll through these at your own pace.

Natalie's 1st Birthday party

Birthday girl and her AZ Grandpa Larry

Cousin Andrew bombs the girls in the pool

Katie and Brooklyn

Can't believe we almost got rid of this play castle a few years ago.

The birthday girl and Aunt Wendy

Ooooooooooh, presents!!!!

12-month birthday / A year with Measurement Marty

"I think this morning was extra special --- mommy, daddy, Katie and Gus all came into my room to sing Happy Birthday to me!!!  Well, as you know, Gus is a dog so he didn't sing, but he did come in with everyone.  After mom changed my diaper, I laid still in my crib for just a split second so she could take my picture with Marty.  Not more than a second though because I don't want to miss anything that might be going on elsewhere.

Unhappy in my crib, despite everyone singing to me.  April 20, 2012.

We went out into the kitchen like usual but there were different colored polka-dot balloons all around the house.  And there was a special sparkly silver one tied to my high chair just for me.  Cool.  And on the wall in the kitchen, there were lots of pictures of me and Marty and a sign on each one labeling my age.

On display in the kitchen for my birthday: A Year With Marty, the Measurement Monkey

I may be one now, but I am still not quite sure about walking on my own.  I'd rather crawl because I can go much faster.  I like to walk while mom or dad hold my hands, and I like to walk even if they only hold one of my hands, I just slow down quite a bit.  I have a whole bunch of words that I like to say and I know what they mean: bath time, issssssssssssshy (fishy or Goldfish cracker), milk, thank you, more please, yes, shoes (I am kind of in love with shoes), hat, dog-dog, woof-woof, ssssss (Gus), airplane, water and baseball. 

Time to get ready for the day.  Hugs and kisses to everyone.  Momma says I'm having a birthday party soon so I'll be sure to nag at her to post those pictures soon.

Love,
Natalie Jane"

Happy 1st Birthday (cake) Natalie!

I spent the better part of 2 days making cakes, cupcakes and mini-cakes for Natalie's 1st birthday.  She had her own cake on the real birthday at home with her family and the rest of us shared a mini-cake that I made for that night.

She was not quite sure what is going on, but she remained very focused on the candle.

Despite eating most everything in the world, Natalie was not so sure about her cake.  She poked at it a bit and then decided she didn't like the consistency of the frosting and started throwing the frosting on the floor for Gus.  After dad gave her a little taste of the frosting, she decided it was ok and dove in, slowly.

Daddy helps her taste the frosting rather than throw it on the floor for an eager dog.

 After getting past the frosting issue, she dove right in to the cake. 

Hey woof woof -- come lick my fingers!

Not too messy, eh?

Yay!!!!  That was pretty yummy mom.  Thanks!!

It's a beautiful day...

We were fortunate to have some extra time to spend with Auntie Adrienne this spring.  It was especially awesome because of my new work schedule that allowed me to spend time with her like we haven't done since I was in high school and she was home for summer break from college (and we didn't really appreciate hanging out with each other as much at that point in life). We were able to do fun things like go for walks in the wagon to the park and play. 

Here are a few pictures from one random beautiful Arizona spring day at the park...



Click on the picture to open a new window that will allow you to scroll through the photos at your own pace.

Hoppy Easter

With a squirmy toddler, this was the best I could do for a shot of the girls together on Easter.  I think Gramma Judy managed to get one of the whole family but I haven't seen it and don't have a copy of it.  Natalie managed to sit nearly all the way through church...thanks mostly to the plastic Easter eggs filled with Cheerios stashed in the diaper bag, the bell choir and the loud music.

Easter morning 2012: post-Easter bunny basket scavenging but pre-church

 (Larry/Judy -- if you're reading this, could you e-mail those pictures to me??)

Sister Saturday

Everyone told us that it would happen fast ... and I knew that it would because it is simply inevitable that kids grow up.  But I never thought it would seem to happen so fast.  Lil Miss Natalie is nearly one year old and every day she is acting more and more like a true toddler.  She wants to do what she wants to do when she wants to do it and does not appreciate anyone telling her otherwise.

Hmmm.  I wonder how I make this thing go...

 Katie is a fantastic big sister and always willing to help Natalie with things, big or small.  When Natalie showed an interest in riding Katie's old tricycle, Katie hopped on and helped her with some extra grown-up assistance from our surprise guest, Aunt Adrienne.  The result was a sister-filled trike ride in circles around the courtyard.

Just a little Saturday morning big sister and little sister trike riding.

Baby bathtime bliss

As I recall from my years of babysitting, not all kids enjoy (or even tolerate) bath time.  On the flip side, our kid absolutely cannot get enough time in the bath tub. 

More recently she's started trying to eat the bubbles or bob for her toys with her mouth wide open.

Hey woof woof, what's that thing on your head?!?

Poor Gus went to the vet and got neutered last week.  He's been recovering slowly (it would go faster if he would just stop licking his wounds) and sporting the "cone of shame" ever since.  Natalie thinks that the cone on his head is very strange and kind of funny.  Gus hates it.

"Hey Gus, I'd totally get you out of that thing if I knew how..."

"...but since I can't help you out of it, can I pet you instead?  Just don't bonk me in the face with the cone, please."

Spring time!

Natalie is an outdoor baby.  She will sit in the stroller for hours as long as you keep the stroller moving.  She loves to sit outside and watch all the airplanes and helicopters fly over our house (we are about a mile from a small regional airport with lots of small planes) and then point at them as they go by.

So the other day, we had our 2nd lunch outside...

"Mmmmmmmm. Mmmmmm.  Isssssshy.  Did you want some of these dog dog?"

And just to prove to everyone that Natalie is indeed not a happy baby ALL the time, here is what happens when you put her next to food but then don't give her any.   She calls Goldfish crackers "Issssssssshy" because she knows that they are little fishies like the toys in her bathtub and the fishies in her animal book.

Family room racetrack

Katie made a track in the family room using pillows and toys for Natalie to race around on her lion (with Katie pushing her). Sometimes they race against each other and sometimes Katie helps Natalie race/chase poor Gus around the track. I think Katie has learned the fine art of letting little kids win though because I rarely see or hear of Katie's victories.

Ready, set, GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

11 month birthday!

"Hi.  I like to say hi.  But when I actually say hi it sounds a little more like 'Hi there' which usually makes everyone laugh a lot.  This morning I woke up and stood at the end of my crib (chewing on it) while I waited for momma to come get me.  When she came in she was singing the 'Happy Birthday' song again, so that must mean it's my birthday.  I stayed in my crib for a while and we played with my stuffed animals and read a book.  Then she pulled out her camera and tried to get me to lay down with Marty so she could take my picture.  Ugh. Doesn't she know I have other things to do?!?!  I don't have time to lay down and pose with a stuffed monkey!

Too busy for Measurement Marty.  March 20, 2012

 Over the past month, I've had lots of fun spending time with all our visitors.  Grandpa Husker and Grandma Becky (momma said it felt strange to call them Grandpa and Grandma Schwisow, since that made her think of her grandparents and I already have a Grandpa Larry ... so we all settled) were here for a while and then my momma went away for a few days and then after she came home, Aunt Adrienne came to visit!!!!

Over the past month I've continued to talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.  I love to read books and can even tell you when I see a doggie in my books.  You'll know because I point at it and say "woof woof" because that's what my doggie says sometimes.  Since we live by a small airport, I like to point to the sky and say "airplane" when I hear an airplane (or helicopter).  I smile and say "Katie" when my big sister walks into the room because I think she is super cool.  I love her very much.  I am learning sign language at school and from momma and poppa.  When I am all done with my food, I shake my hands to tell them that I am full (all done).

I still love to eat.  Seems like everyday I get to try something new.  Just last week I got to try yogurt, avocados (again, the first time I tried them I hated them), Goldfish crackers, string cheese and on Monday at school they gave me FISH STICKS for lunch and I really thought those were great.

Despite Grandpa Husker's prediction, I am not quite comfortable walking solo yet.  I still love to push around my lion (gwrrrar) and my activity center toy.  I like to walk while I am holding hands with someone too, especially if they are helping me chase my doggie around.  I move around the family room a lot when I'm playing, but just don't want to let go of anything quite yet.

Hugs and kisses to everyone!  I love you."

We LOVE visits from Auntie Adrienne

As always, we are all very thankful for another visit from Aunt Adrienne and all the fun times she's had with us...even Gus.  He was able to get outside and go for a jog or two while Adrienne was in town, something Scott and I don't have too much time to do as it is nearly impossible to take both Gus and Natalie in the stroller without breaking an ankle or wrist.

Thanks to Adrienne's patience and reading this book 1,000 times together,
Natalie now points to the dogs and says "woof woof" when you ask her
to show you the doggies.

Bath time is always fun for Natalie but it is especially fun with Auntie because she gets extra silly splashy play time.

Look at those chunky legs!
Captivated by the ball castle at Grandpa Larry and Gramma Judy's house.

Birthday Cake Boss

Katie and Adrienne made me a cake this year for my 30th birthday.  It was a chocolate cake with crushed up Oreo cookies in the batter with white (vanilla) frosting.  The lovely Miss Katie took charge of the decorating...

Turning 30 sure tasted delicious!

Kid-free girls weekend

My sister invited me to join her and two of her friends for a ski trip to Breckenridge at the end of February.  Ummm, yes please!  So we rented a fabulous ski-in/ski-out condo on the slopes of Peak 8 and were ready to rock and roll.

Day 1: ready to roll

Lucky for us, the snow gods blessed us with fresh powder as soon as we arrived.  And then the snow gods continued to bless us for the next 3 days.  It was amazing.

Day 1: tree skiing in tons of fresh powder

We had a fantastic time exploring all the slopes, checking out the local restaurants, enjoying wonderful Colorado brews and hanging out with Adrienne's two awesome friends.

I'm super lucky to have such an amazing sister and best friend.

ALL ABOARD

Ever since I've been involved in Katie's life, and even before I was around, Scott has gone into Katie's room each morning to wake her for school and then re-appeared moments later with Katie on his back.  She gets a piggy-back ride to the kitchen and into her special breakfast chair at the island each morning for breakfast where a bowl of cereal, oatmeal or yogurt and granola is ready and waiting.

And now that Natalie is around and not quite so fragi-le (it must be French), Scott plucks her out of her crib in the morning (she's usually standing there waiting for you to get her) and then goes into Katie's room to wake Katie.

This morning, I was finally ready and waiting with the camera in hand for the Daddy breakfast train to come down the hallway...

Next stop, BREAKFAST!