Ohh Elyza

So yesterday she dressed herself... she got a pair of my dirty underware and put them on. Not on her head, but more like a vest, one arm through a leg hole, around her back and the other arm through the other leg hole... then she crawled around the house wearing them.

And today she stood at the dog food bin and fed herself and the dogs, dog food. She would take a bite for herself and then throw the dogs some pieces, take a bite for herself, throw the dogs some pieces.

My bite

Your bite

She is learing, growing and changing SO MUCH everyday!

Unexpected Milestone

Elyza can climb stairs. We've never even given her the opportunity to climb them but apparently she can I had a bunch of stuff from Costco to bring in so I set her at the bottom of the stairs (the living space we use is upstairs) and I went up and put a few things in the fridge. I figured she was ok, it's just a hall down there and nothing to hurt her or to get into. Then I hear this whining and it's really loud, louder than it would be if she were downstairs...I walk over to the stairs and she is at the top of the stairs, standing up holding onto the gate. Totally freaked me out, she could have fallen back down the stairs and I had no idea she could maneuver up the stairs... she can't even walk yet!

Elyza and Mommy Day

Today Elyza and I get to spend the day together, alone. Ellie is at Nana's, she spent the night last night, and Daddy is working, So Elyza and I get to spend the day together.

We woke up at 8:00am... well she woke me up at 8:00am! We played, had breakfast, played, had a shower... and then I brushed my hair, then Elyza brushed her hair. I threw the brush on the bed after I brushed my hair and she went right for it and started to brush her hair.




She also does this cute little grunt and makes fists and pretends she's mad... you can hear and see that in this video too.

Earley Learning

So we...well...I decided to start a blog about what we do each day while homeschooling. It will hopefully help me keep track of what we are doing, because sometimes I feel lost, and to also track our progress. It is my way of record keeping, at least for now. Washington state does not require you to officially start homeschooling until the age of 8, but I might as well get into the habit of keeping records.

So here it is... Earley Learning I have also permanently linked it on the side bar.

Puppies...

I was not the one who thought getting a puppy was a good idea. Nope it was not me. In fact, I was the one who said...

Puppies are cute and everything but they eat your stuff, they poop and pee in your house, they jump on you, they bite you and the lick you, the whine and they bark and they are well... puppies.

So, not it was not me who said getting a puppy was a good idea, I was totally against it.

We are watching a friend's puppy while they are on vacation.

Max is cute and all of that, but he's such a PUPPY! And he nearly ate seaweed last night. Santa (thanks Dar) already repaired the Seaweed my OWN puppy ate when she was still a puppy. And I just can not have another seaweed tragedy in my house.

I am the one who said puppies are not a good idea, now I am the one who has the puppy!

Glad that is off my chest, again!!

Marshmallows Anyone?

A few weeks ago while driving by a hay field I told Ellie they grew marshmallows there, teasing her of-course because the big round bails of hay w/white covers on them LOOK like giant marshmallows.

So a couple days ago she sees some in a field and some bales not covered in plastic yet, so brownish looking and in the same field some with some of the covered ones... and she asks Doug

"Daddy, did the sun toast those marshmallows like we toast marshmallows on the fire?"

** I did not take the photograph of hay bales above

July

July has been a busy month and I have not updated regularly. Here are some photos from this month. The first photo above is Cassie at the children's museum playing with their cool board. It is a picture of the board, she is actually next to me and her image is reflecting onto it. It changes and is really fun to play with.

There is a video way towards the bottom.

Ellie finished up baseball in July.

Children's Museum

Watching the 4th of July parade in Arlington

Grandma Susie's and Grandpa Mark's

Sweet Ellie when she was sick

Natalie and Cooper cuddling

Elyza helping with laundry

(I carried her downstairs to get the laundry because she didn't want to leave me and I had to carry her back up like this, otherwise I couldn't carry both)

Smiley girl

Children's Art Festival, Mt Vernon

This was fun, they had lots of art activities, face painting, "big rigs" the kids could get on and see. The fire department, police department had booths so that was neat (and lots of other sponsors like local businesses, the library etc.)

Valentines performing pigs were there and some other performances like juggling, magic, etc.

Ellie got to go up on stage for a magic card trick

Video of Ellie on stage:

Sleeping, last night

Christian the Lion

Christian was a lion purchased in 1969 by two Australians living in London, John Rendall and Anthony 'Ace' Bourke (sometimes erroneously cited as Ace Berg) — from Harrods department store.

Rendall, his girlfriend Jennifer Mary, Bourke and Unity Jones cared for the lion as it grew too large to remain their pet. After meeting Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, who starred in the film Born Free, Rendall and Bourke agreed to have Christian sent to Kenya with the assistance of conservationist George Adamson — in order that Christian be rehabilitated into the wild at Kora National Reserve.

Watch his story...

More info on Christian:
Christian the lion who lived in my London living room

Elyza Swims

Ok, well not really, but Elyza has no fear of the water. Yesterday when we took the girls swimming we let Elyza "swim" back and forth between Doug and I. She was happy to do it, her face was emerged and she held her breath. She's obviously too little for instruction but we let her be under for a couple of seconds and she moved her arms and kicked her feet until we pulled her up. She did not sink and she was able to keep her bum up. Then she giggled and smiled and was immediately ready for more.

We have been taking her swimming since she was 5 weeks old but this is the first time we let her try to swim and she loved it! I don't think she will be sitting in the little fishy boat anymore! She was mad when we tried to put her back in.

Cassie and Ellie can of-course swim. Ellie, at 5, can swim the distance of an olympic size pool and has been able to swim since she was three. She also knows that if she gets tired she can turn to her back and float or swim on her back.

I think we have a little family of fish!

Ellie's latest hospital stay

This was the 5th time Ellie had been admitted to the hospital and her 5th UTI. As it turned out she was on the wrong antibiotic, as I had suspected. We knew she had a UTI on Thursday July 10th when she said it hurt to pee, it took her over an hour to pee about 1 tsp and it had blood in it. I took her to the ER where they agreed she had a UTI and gave her an RX for an antibiotic. She started throwing up very early Friday morning and had a raging fever. By Thursday afternoon she was in her pediatrician's office where she got a shot of antibiotics, well actually two shots. Poor girl.

By Sunday she was not better. I took her to the ER Sunday morning where they had her cultures back from Thursday and said that she was on the wrong antibiotic, gave her an IV and admitted her so she could receive IV antibiotics and fluids. She spent three days in the hospital. The doctor didn't want to let her go until she could keep her fever under 101.5 without meds.

Now we have to go back to Children's to see the urologist again, more tests and see what they have to say.

She is a trooper though, she handled it all well and didn't try to pull her arms when they did the IV. She did scream and cry, but kept her arms still.

Please keep Ellie in your thoughts and prayers.

Why!?!?

Last week was Ellie's best friend, Gavin's birthday party. We missed it because Elyza was sick. But she got him something REALLY special, something he really wanted, but before he even knew he wanted one she picked it out for him. It is a Webkinz, the snake. It was ordered ahead of time and then he was exposed to Webkinz (by Ellie) and he desperately wanted one... good thing we already ordered one!

So today we were going to have a special party for him at our house. We were going to decorate, have cupcakes and dinner, hot dogs, maybe even some potato chips! And play pin the tail on the Webkinz.

Last night I noticed that Ellie was in and out of the bathroom, she said she was trying to poop. Then she came and got her dinner plate and tried to bring it into the bathroom. I asked her again what was going on, was she having a hard time pooping or was she having a lot of poop, etc. She told me, when I try to poop I keep peeing and it hurts really bad when I pee.

Because she has urinary reflux and has had 4 urinary tract infections in the past I knew she probably had an infection. I got her to pee in a cup, it took about an hour to get about 1tsp, but when she did it was clearly cloudy and had blood it in. So then I knew she had an infection.

I called her pediatrician who said that as long as she wasn't overly uncomfortable and she didn't have a fever we could wait and see her in the morning. This is what I decided to do.

That was until she started crying, saying she hurt and her side hurt and pointed to her kidney area. It was also her left side which is the side her reflux was on.

So I brought her to the ER, and well, as I suspected ahem, KNEW she has a UTI and I am glad I brought her last night. It was actually quick for an ER, about 2 hours.

When I got there they asked me why and I just said because she has a UTI, I did not say I think she has one. At first I think the guy thought I was just full of myself at first, but then when I told him why (her history and current symptoms) and when her urine sample came out pink they knew I was right.

And even the doctor was kinda like, well, we have to go with procedure (like waiting for the lab etc) but we pretty much know what is wrong. They gave her a dose of antibiotic last night and then a RX.

When we got home around midnight I gave her some motrin for the pain, she was saying she hurt alot. By 4am she was puking and had a fever over 103. She still have a fever at 6am even with more meds and has thrown up 3 times in 2 hours.

I am glad we brought her in because at least she's had one dose of antibiotic and they already have the urine sample and the culture started just in case this antibiotic doesn't work. Once she spent 2 1/2 days in the hospital on the wrong antibiotic via IV (because they just use one that typically works for UTI's and typical bacteria until they have the culture back which takes like 2-3 days.) Then she spent another 4 days in the hospital on the right antibiotic (that was 3 years ago.)

So send her some prayers and good vibes. She wanted to have the party still, but then told me she wanted the volume off on the TV. So I know she could not handle it. Their party will hopefully happen tomorrow once her antibiotics kick in.

It's summer-time

We have a very small yard that needs a lot of work and only have a metal swing set and not alot of playmates. Ellie loves loves loves playing outside and loves playing with other kids. Doug and I were talking and I told him that I often don't take her to the park because she always wants to stay for hours and I feel bad not staying for hours and frankly it's B-O-R-I-N-G for me when I take her alone. I admitted that I should just take her a couple times a week for at least 30 minutes and at least she'd be going more.

So Doug and I made a deal with Ellie last Sunday that we would try to take her to the park at least 4 times a week (at least twice each) and playgroup days count for me, lol, as long as she would not get upset or argue when it was time to leave.

So far it is Wednesday and she has been to the park three times now, Sunday we took her together, Monday I took her for about an hour by myself and today Doug took her for about an hour and a half - 2 hours by himself - and to a water playground even!

What a nice compromise for a 5-year old eh? And now that Elyza can at least swing and crawl on the grass it's not so bad for her either. She loves the swings and loves to crawl on the grass.

Dot

Doug's grandma passed away today. She has been very sick for a very long time. We knew the time was close. She had been in and out of the hospital.

Here are some poems I like and want to post for her.


Seventy-six times have these eyes beheld the changing scene of autumn.
I have said enough about moonlight,
Ask no more.
Only listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs.
~Unknown


All Return Again
It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die,
but only retire a little from sight and afterwards return again.
Nothing is dead; men feign themselves dead,
and endure mock funerals and mournful obituaries,
and there they stand looking out of the window, sound and well, in some new strange disguise. Jesus is not dead; he is very well alive; nor John, nor Paul, nor Mahomet, nor Aristotle;
at times we believe we have seen them all,
and could easily tell the names under which they go.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Peace my heart...Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.
~Rabindranath Tagore

I am not there

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there, I did not die.

Mary Frye

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3.1-8: A Time for Everything

Cassie's Streaky Hair

That's what she and Ellie call it. She got her hair highlighted blonde and red. It was a birthday gift from Grandpa Dan (my dad) but her mom said she had to wait until school was out.

Before & After

There was a girl in there about Cassie's age who was very jealous. At first she was asking her mom if she could dye her hair and holding up different colors. Her mom said no to all of them and told her she was too young. Then the girl kept getting closer to us and staring at Cassie. Then she started talking to Ellie and by the end she was right next to the sink within inches of Cassie while her hair was being rinsed. I kind-of felt bad for her.

Happy Birthday Doug!

I told Doug he was not getting anything for his birthday, but in reality we surprised him with a tattoo. He has been wanting to get the Chinese symbols for the girls' chinese zodiac's, Cassie is a Tiger, Ellie is a Ram (or goat/sheep) and Elyza is a pig. (in order of age in the image to the left)

Throughout the week he kept bugging me saying that he wanted a tattoo and I kept telling him no. I had already put down a deposit, made an appointment and bought him a gift certificate. So on Saturday after Ellie's baseball I told him Cassie has her appointment to get her hair done, so we grabbed a pizza and sat at the park for a quick lunch. After lunch we gave him his card and gift. So I dropped him off at the tattoo house and brought Cas to get her hair done. The scary part is that Cassie's hair took TWICE as long!


I will have to update with real pictures of it on his arm.

No Handlebars

This is one of Ellie's favorite songs. Handlebars by the Flobots.
It's actually a really good song wiht a good message if you listen to the words.




I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

Look at me, look at me
hands in the air like it's good to be
ALIVE
and I'm a famous rapper
even when the paths're all crookedy
I can show you how to do-si-do
I can show you how to scratch a record
I can take apart the remote control
And I can almost put it back together
I can tie a knot in a cherry stem
I can tell you about Leif Ericson
I know all the words to "De Colores"
And "I'm Proud to be an American"
Me and my friend saw a platypus
Me and my friend made a comic book
And guess how long it took
I can do anything that I want cuz, look:

I can keep rhythm with no metronome
No metronome
No metronome

And I can see your face on the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone

Look at me
Look at me
Just called to say that it's good to be
ALIVE
In such a small world
I'm all curled up with a book to read
I can make money open up a thrift store
I can make a living off a magazine
I can design an engine sixty four
Miles to a gallon of gasoline
I can make new antibiotics
I can make computers survive aquatic conditions
I know how to run a business
I can make you wanna buy a product
Movers shakers and producers
Me and my friends understand the future
I see the strings that control the systems
I can do anything with no assistance
Cuz I can lead a nation with a microphone
With a microphone
With a microphone
And I can split the atoms of a molecule
Of a molecule
Of a molecule

Look at me
Look at me
Driving and I won't stop
And it feels so good to be
Alive and on top
My reach is global
My tower secure
My cause is noble
My power is pure
I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let'em all die from exasperation
Have'em all healed from their lacerations
Have'em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don't like'em and
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command
Because I can guide a missile by satellite
By satellite
By satellite
And I can hit a target through a telescope
Through a telescope
Through a telescope
And I can end the planet in a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

Green bean brows?

Remember the Banana uni-brow?

Well the other day it was green bean eyebrows. Thankfully I did not get green beans stuck to my face by this creative little 5-year old.

She was eating green beans with dinner tonight and she put them up and said "Our eyebrows are shorter like this except brown."

I am so glad she compares her food to eyebrows.

Look Who's Standing!

Elyza has been pulling herself up for a bit over a week now. She mostly does it on me or Doug, sometimes on other stable objects (like the bathtub!)

She is not quite ready to cruise on things yet, but she loves to stand up! She is still up on her tip toes alot and needs to learn to balance better. But she's so proud of herself when she gets herself up!