A little tip to help you through Monday

Do you have a case of the Mondays?  Today, Josie reminds us to show Monday who's boss:



Yeah, Girlfriend still whips out "The Face" from time to time, just to let us know she hasn't lost her edge.

Josie's Summer Paradise

Since Mom and Dad have been spending every evening over at the condo getting things ready for Mama Hop & Aunt Leanne's visit next month, we haven't had as much family time as usual.  So we decided do something fun together on Saturday morning.  The obvious choice was our local splash park. 

 

The girls absolutely love the splash park - especially Josie.

 It should come as no surprise since we already discovered the water-induced euphoria that is our water activity table.  The splash park takes that to a whole new level!

 There is nowhere else to witness Josie participate in this much gross motor activity with a gleeful expression plastered across her face. 

 Of course we would expect Merryn to prosper in an environment like this.  

 Eyes shut

Mouth open

Run

Repeat

 This environment beckons every kid to be a fearless little force of nature - even Josie.  Just look at her wandering around like she owns the place!  All signs of her gross motor allergy were washed away and her signature "No, please, no!" was not uttered once...

  ...Well, maybe once...when she decided to plop face-down where the water accumulates near the drain to indulge in her obsession with blowing bubbles...

...until Dad came along and ruined all the fun.  Sorry, JoJo.  Let's just hope that run off from everyone's grubby feet is adequately chlorinated.  Ick!

 Suffice to say, even that couldn't burst her splash park bubble. 

Here's to hoping Josie likes winter sports this much!  I happen to know a medal-winning Special Olympian who can teach her how to snowshoe.

Two Toddlers, Two Households

When we completed our home study for Josie's adoption, the caseworker interviewed us and asked all sorts of questions and one question I will never forget is "What annoys you most about your spouse?"  Travis, being the smart man that he is, declined to answer.  He told her that his wife doesn't annoy him.  Ha!  The caseworker refused to accept that answer and insisted he come up with something.  Well, he finally conceded that I take on too many projects and I drive myself and everyone around me crazy with all of the things I attempt to juggle at one time.  I giggle to myself as I recall this story because you know what the perfect vocation for someone like me is: motherhood! 

 

Can I get an Amen?!

 

The aforementioned anecdote is explained in an attempt to segue into a whole host of excuses for why this blog is not updated as regularly as it should be.  For example, Travis was in Mexico  on a business trip last week so Mom was single-parenting around the clock.

Having a couple of extra months in our new residence helped make this business trip a little easier than the last one but we were still rejoicing upon Dad's return.

And as always, he brought us gift.  Mom received some much needed wine and Josie and Merryn got a couple of singing animals.  Wait - let me correct that - the animals do not sing.  They do have a button but when it's pressed, they recite facts about themselves.  Did you know that a zebra can run 40mph?  Josie didn't either.  And she didn't really care.  She'd much rather that zebra gyrate uncontrollably to the tune of a 70's pop song.  So much for Dad's efforts to try to boost the intellectual stimulation around here. 

 We've fielded many requests for photos of the new house but it's still a work in progress.  If anyone has ever tried to drag two toddlers in a double stroller through a Pier 1 or any other retail destination full of pretty little breakables, you would understand why this isn't happening as quickly as I would like.  We'll get there...

So let's see...we talked about single parenting, settling into a new house and new community, two toddlers, one of whom has up to 7 extracurricular activities (therapy, medical appointments, swimming lessons, gymnastics, etc) per week...and then Josie goes and gets this weird, here today/gone tomorrow/back again diarrhea which has complicated the potty training and increased the laundry stockpile exponentially.  It's a good thing I have a little helper who LOVES laundry (seriously). 

Oh and because the demands of one household could not possibly keep a Type A personality like myself completely satisfied, we went and took on another one.  In case you missed that announcement, you can catch up HERE.  So now the fun begins as we set out to HGTV the place.  I'm still waiting for the gorgeous twin brothers to show up at the door and take the paint rollers from our hands and send us off to a luxury hotel while they finish the job in an hour (with just a couple of commercial breaks).  So far, it  hasn't happened. 

So in case dust and spider webs start to accumulate here at CCE, know that we're just a little preoccupied but we will be back!  There is no way we're giving up this blog.  We love it too much.  It may temporarily morph into a DIY before/after home decorating blog.  If that sounds fun, let me know and we'll add another tab at the top for that...you know, with all of our spare time ;-)

 

P.S.  Sorry about the low grade photos.  The DSLR hasn't seen much action lately.



Ready for Rio...kind of

This summer, in an attempt to help Josie overcome her aversion to gross motor activities, we enrolled her in gymnastics.  You can read about that HERE.  The update goes as follows:

 

When we arrive at gymnastics - like when we pull into the parking lot - the opposition starts.  The degree of resistance varies from whimpering, whining, Josie's classic expression "No, please, no!" uttered repeatedly, and maybe a little tear shed.



As a parent, of course this is difficult to witness.  But I cope by filing it under "the unpleasant things we make our kids do because it's good for them in the long term," like getting vaccinations or eating vegetables.  There's also great solace in the fact that Josie is in the impressively competent hands of the unflappable "Coach Nate".

 

Coach Nate displays a remarkable ability to navigate Josie's emotional distress with a beautiful balance of firmness and sensitivity.  He believes in Josie.  He calls her "Super Josie".  He swoops her up and whisks her off, and you can almost feel the breeze from her imaginary cape as she soars off into the gym...

During her gymnastics session, Josie has the opportunity to perform amazing feats that she would never attempt at home - like climbing a rock wall...

...or rolling around in a tunnel.  Do I spy a smile?



 Coach Nate doesn't demand perfection.  The operative word is "try".

 And the endeavors that Josie completes during gymnastics, as insignificant as they may seem to the parent of a typical 3 year-old, bring tears to my eyes.  Seriously - this kid does not climb on furniture.  She has NEVER climbed on the sofa.  And yet she scaled this ladder, and with minimal assistance, got herself up on the trampoline.

 Every week, Josie's 2 year-old sister, Merryn, does this repeatedly and effortlessly during her gymnastics session.  But for Josie, this is not effortless - it's monumental!  And every week Merryn gleefully runs/hops/bounces down that trampoline and catapults herself into the foam pit and digs herself out only to do it again and again...today, Josie did it, too.  It took her longer, she was more hesitant, and she required assistance, but she did it!

 The ultimate reward for a whole lot of "try" is a super cool stamp that Coach Nate has learned to place anywhere but on Josie's hand, because it will immediately get Purelled away as soon as Mom greets her at the end of her session.

 

Freshly inked and feeling invincible, Super Josie gets on her Harley and rides off into the sunset...

Just in case you were wondering about Josie's unconventional gymnastics attire, here is the rundown...

We've developed a routine of doing post-gymnastics interviews just to reinforce the fact that Josie survived and is better for having overcome her aversion to her Thursday morning torture...

...And now she's ready for Rio...kind of.

 

 

San Diego Outtakes

You know, my mom says I'm a very talented "photojournalist" and considering the source, one would assume that's a completely objective and credible statement.  And as much as I'd like to take credit, I have to say that any decent photo that appears on this blog is not because of the photographer - it's because of the subject: my two incredible children.

 

None of my photos ever turn out blurry because my children always sit perfectly still...

 ...and they're always happy - especially the one with Down syndrome.  You know people with Down syndrome are notoriously happy!

 They really bring their A game when they are dressed up in coordinating outfits...

 ...and placed in exotic locales.  They are true professionals!

  I mean, you'd think I sent them to charm school!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I should really put them in pageants!

San Diego Surprise





 

Picture this: After traveling all day (four hours on a plane with toddlers), you arrive at your destination.  It's now two hours past said toddlers bedtime, but they must stay alert to surprise the guest of honor any minute.  Oh, and they must remain quiet so as if not to ruin the surprise.  As the big moment arrives, one toddler starts to meltdown.  You rush the toddler away from the scene and try to hush her as your brother-in-law beckons you back - the big moment has arrived...

And that was the way Travis' dad rang in the big 6-0!  He knew he was going on a vacation to San Diego but he expected to see his friends - not his two sons, their wives, and three children - when he arrived at the beautiful beach house his wife rented in honor of the occasion.  Awesome, right?  Because why would you want to sip piña coladas on the beach with adults when you could spend the week with rambunctious toddlers climbing all over you?! Toddlers who help make you super cool "Happy Birthday Papa" banners...

No sirree, Papa wouldn't have it any other way and that's why he's the best!  Just look at him - king of the castle - by the pool.

The house even came with a good lookin' pool boy! 

Ha!  That's Travis' brother.  He specifically told me NOT to say that!  Sorry, Corey!

 

It was a fantastic vacation with something for everyone.  Some prefer to relax and stare out at the ocean...

...while others prefer to go for a jog with toddlers on the beach!

Go Papa, go! 

(He has no idea I photographed this moment)

 

Merryn and her adorable cousin Abby were a couple of little fishes in that pool...

...while Josie preferred to cuddle her dad on dry land.

Actually, both girls had a blast in the pool.  In an attempt to keep up with Abby, her super swimmer cousin, Merryn would persistently try to flail and get away from me and insist I put her "down!"...in the deep end!  Yeah, that's Merryn - Miss Independent.  Thank goodness we discovered Puddle Jumpers (this blog has no affiliation with the company - we just love the product).  Puddle jumpers are an innovative floatation device that allowed Merryn to have the freedom she desperately desired in the pool. 

Josie, on the other hand, preferred to lounge in a baby float and blow bubbles - lots and lots of bubbles!  Girlfriend is a little obsessed.  Hey, whatever floats her boat.

There were so many memorable moments and fun photos from the trip that it was nearly impossible to narrow it down.  Look at this cuteness - eskimo kissin' cousins!

 

Relaxing strolls on the beach...

 

 

...Merryn's first taste of gelato, thanks to Papa...

My only regret is that I didn't get a family photo.  This is as close as I came to everyone together!

 Oh but that doesn't matter because I got the cutest ones together right here:

Overall, it was a wonderful week of family fun and we are so grateful to YaYa and Uncle Corey for planning it.  It was a pleasure to be able to help Papa celebrate his 60th birthday (even though it's not technically until NEXT year - that was part of the "surprise"!). 

  

 ** We fielded some questions both on the blog and Instagram about the photo of the pulse oximeter display, I will say that Josie did great on the whole trip.  Because of her Chronic Lung Disease and her history of respiratory distress episodes, the doctor has us take a portable oxygen compressor and her pulse oximeter on the plane with us.  Altitude and sleep both lower oxygen saturations but Josie took a little nap at 30,000 feet and kept her saturations above 90!  Woo Hoo!  You go girl!

 



 

Coming Soon...

In the near future, you can expect a blog post about our incredible trip to San Diego.  It was a wonderful week of family fun resulting in magical memories...the kind you cherish.  The problem is that yours truly took a photo to document every last moment so it's taking awhile to sort through them and limit the quantity posted to the blog.  Case in point - here is a small sampling of cell phone photos: 

No joke - that is just a fraction of the cell phone photos.  We  haven't even gotten to the DSLR photos yet.  Um, yeah.  I think someone (me) needs camera rehab.  The first step is admitting the problem, right?  Stay tuned!

Mama Hop's Flamenco Photo Shoot Fiasco

Mama Hop loves to travel.  She recently returned from a Mediterranean Cruise and she hand-delivered souvenirs for all of us with the exception of one.  One souvenir was too good to wait so Mama Hop shipped it directly to us as soon as she landed back in the States: little red and black Flamenco dresses from Spain.  She even included a CD that she'd burned herself (no small feat, mind you) of Flamenco music to go along with the gift.  She wrote a note saying that she thought the girls would love dressing up and dancing to the Spanish guitar.  She thought it would make an awesome photo op.  She pictured this:

 She got this:

Somehow there was a disconnect between my mom's vision of a couple of castanets wielding, cosmopolitan toddlers happily twirling around in their ruffly red dresses and the genuine reality: Josie's got an extra chromosome chalked full of stubborn and she just wasn't feeling the rhythm that day while the only thing Merryn was feeling was...well, Thelma.

Dead are Mama Hop's dreams of bragging that her granddaughters are Carlos Santana's backup dancers...or even cruise ship entertainment for that matter.  They're just good old, all-American, bright-eyed, strong-willed, ornery, energetic, uncooperative, spirited,  obstinate, toddlers in itchy polyester dresses.

 

Flamenco Photo Shoot Fiasco

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

11 Years and Counting...

11 years ago, on a sweltering summer day, two crazy kids tied the knot. 

 

This guy has been making all my dreams come true ever since.

Happy Anniversary, Travis.