Fourteen Months

Miss Lexi turned 14 months old last week. It has been a busy month of growth for her at Granny's house.



She quit nursing.

She had a wicked diaper rash and eczema break-out.

She started a dairy-free diet (and her skin healed).

She started sleeping through the night.

She spent nearly the entire month without her Daddy.

She began the transition to one nap a day...and started waking up at the crack of dawn.



She learned to nod "yes" and shake her head "no."

She learned to kiss.

She became even more attached to her lovey, Betsy the dog.

She went swimming for the first time (and many times after that).

She started raiding the pantry, particularly for cereal and fruit snacks.

She learned to literally say "cheese!" for the camera.



We love our little Lexi girl!

Three little fishies

I enrolled the boys -- all three! -- in swimming lessons that started last week. They have been awesome, and since Garry was in town yesterday, I asked him to document our watery adventures.

Lessons are at 11:10 a.m. The temperature is always at least 100 degrees when we arrive at the outdoor pool (which is part of the campus where I attended junior high school). We leave our towels on the bleachers and wear our flip flops to the side of the pool. Zach waits in this shady spot for his class and just takes a few quick steps across the blistering pool deck to the water.



On the first day of lessons, I encouraged Zach and Tyler to really learn the swimming strokes. I knew they could both navigate the water pretty safely, but I wanted to make sure they could swim. Tyler, especially, is proficient in the doggie-paddle but not much else. I told them they could participate in swim team next year if they really learned to swim. I have been thrilled with their progress!




Gavin and I are taking a "swim toddlers" class. (Many thanks to my mom, who watches Lexi every day so we can participate!) Gavin loves playing in the water every day and is developing good skills for his age. He is completely fearless in the water. He loves jumping into deep water, diving for rings, and submerging himself (he calls it "going under the sea").

Yesterday we were the only ones to show up for class, so Gavin got a private lesson. Working at his level (rather than that of the babies that make up the rest of our class) was pretty fun! We spent time in the 12-feet-deep section of the pool, where Gavin jumped in several times, swam through a hula hoop, and in general made me nervous. In the shallow water we practiced his kicks and arm movements, his "camomball" jumps, and diving for rings.




When lessons end, there is a token drying-off exercise and then we trudge off to the hot van. Gavin always says, "everyfing is hot in here" as I buckle his car seat straps. We are grateful for the coolness of our swimsuits, which offsets the blazing heat during our drive home.



Swimming lessons have been a great way to beat the heat -- and the exercise is very beneficial for our sleep, too!

You do the math

Lexi+cell phone+water=

bummer.

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home...

We are enjoying a long weekend as a family of six. After being apart for a month, I'm really glad to share a roof with my sweetheart! The kids are thrilled, too, of course.


Our Saturday activities included playtime with Daddy, a nap for me, extended family visiting, a temple trip, and an evening of swimming. Good times -- and no pictures! I guess we were having too much fun.

Garry will return to Colorado Springs early Tuesday morning. We'll enjoy him as long as we can!

Sleeping angels

"There was never a child so lovely

but his mother was glad to get him to sleep."

{Ralph Waldo Emerson}

Snaggletooth

Tyler FINALLY lost his first front tooth.

It has been hanging precariously
(and grossing out his Aunt Holly)
for weeks.

We tried

wiggling
flossing
pushing
pulling
tweezing
and
tying

to no avail.

It was a little traumatic.

Tonight I suggested that Tyler use an ice cube
to numb the gum around the tooth
and pull it out.

It worked.
(I love being the hero.)

We hope the Tooth Fairy can find Ty's pillow in Arizona.
Tyler hopes "his wings don't break in the middle of the heat."

That would be tragic indeed.

Phone conversation

Last weekend we celebrated my sister's birthday at her house. While playing with his cousin's toys, Gavin fell in love with Angie's old cell phone. He started jabbering away on the phone, calling who-knows-who and talking their ears off. Angie let him take it when we went home.

Since then, Gavin has been obsessed with making phone calls. He carried on quite a lengthy conversation with Garry the other day, but mostly he just talks to himself. Sometimes the phone calls are with/for Russell the bear. The calls often involve one or more grandparents whether they are present or not. And today, while we were sitting in the car, waiting for Stein Mart to open, Gavin didn't even have a phone. He just called me up.

Gavin: Mom, I'm calling you.

Heidi: OK....hello?

Gavin: How are you today?

Heidi: Fine. How are you?

Gavin: Good.

Heidi: What are you doing?

Gavin: Going to da door.

Heidi: Going to the door?

Gavin: No, da door.

Heidi: Da door?

Gavin: No, the store!

Heidi: Oh! The store! What will you buy at the store?

Gavin: New Lunchables. And cheese.

Heidi: Ah...excellent choice.

Gavin: OK, well, have fun, Grandma.

Heidi: Um, OK.

Gavin: Love you. Bye!


Gavin was disappointed to discover that Stein Mart is a clothing store. I bought a new purse but he had his little heart set on cheese. I promised him a trip to Costco tomorrow...

Ouch!

Last month, Zachary saw a pediatrician for an infected lymph node. The doctor was convinced that Zach had severe allergies. We visited an allergy clinic that very day, but after the standard skin-prick test, it appeared that Zach wasn't allergic to anything at all. I was confused but very relieved.

As a precaution, I decided to make allergy-testing appointments for all the kids. (I have long suspected milk allergies in Gavin and Lexi but haven't done anything about it.) Garry, who suffers from seasonal allergies, made an appointment, too. Because we are in Arizona, we missed the kids' appointments, but Garry went to the clinic for his tests on Tuesday. Here are the results:


Ouch!! Garry showed a "very strong positive reaction" for 25 of the 42 allergens, and had 7 "strong positive" results as well. He was the show-and-tell patient of the office that morning; everyone had to come take a peek at his inflamed, itching skin.



So now we know that Garry is severely allergic to grasses, weeds, and trees; dust mites, mice, cockroaches, cattle, dogs, and cats; plus carrots and cantaloupe. These allergies aren't life-threatening, but they sure can make him miserable. He is working with the doctors to better manage his symptoms.

On another note, I am really looking forward to seeing Garry soon. If his work schedule allows, he will visit us in Arizona this weekend!

Snapshots

Here are a few random shots to sum up our life lately.

We are struggling a bit to find ways to stay occupied indoors. We are used to summer being the outdoor season, with ball games and bike rides and swing sets and friends to fill the long afternoons. But it's 90 degrees by 7:00 a.m., and nothing but the air-conditioned house is acceptable!

So the boys play a lot of video games and watch TV. (They love this, of course.) I take a walk with the Littles every morning, but the heat zaps the boys' energy before I'm ready to be done, so they stay home. We are back on our routine of reading and writing and scriptures and breakfast in the morning, but then the boys tune into the tube. Granny often takes the big boys swimming while the Littles nap. I'm always glad when bedtime arrives, which means we are one day closer to school starting.

Gavin discovered a new game the other day: rolling a tennis ball down the stair railing. He giggles and squeals every time it flies off the end of the railing. He always asks, in a voice full of excitement and wonder, "Did you SEE that?!" I stand at the bottom to catch (or fetch) the ball, then throw it up to the top. It usually rolls down the hall behind him, so he runs to get it. And then the game starts over again. Silly boy.

The other day, Granny, Holly, and I cleaned out Granny's closet. She was storing all of Ryan's belongings there, so we moved his stuff up to the room where Gavin is sleeping. That will be Ryan's room when he returns from his mission next month. Among the belongings were a giant stuffed catfish named Maynard and a huge velvet sombrero. Gavin adopted these things as his own. I'll be sure to attach that photo to my next letter to Ryan.

Lexi loves to putter, and her favorite place to play is Granny's pantry. This is due, in part, to the box of fruit snacks stored there, but also because of some other treasures from Granny's three-month food storage. Lexi LOVES to play with packages of Ramen and Cup-o-Noodles. We find these packages strewn about the house. Luckily she doesn't open them.

I love this picture of Zach asleep on the couch. He gets up around 5:00 a.m. every morning and swims for an hour or two nearly every afternoon. It's an exhausting routine, especially now that we have added late-morning swimming lessons to the mix. On this particular day, Zach was waiting to leave for his afternoon swim outing and just fell asleep!

This video shows the aftermath of a Wendy's take-out meal. The kids all got "saxzoos" (saxophone-shaped kazoos) in their kids' meals and were trying them out. My parents and I mused that the creator of the saxzoo must not have been a mother!

Letters to the children

Dear Lexi,

Granny tells me you remind her a lot of me when I was a baby: tiny, determined, talkative, and ornery. I have heard a lot of stories during the last week about what a grumpy child I was, and that most of my discontent was derived from wanting to be bigger. Does that sound familiar? I wish I could figure out what you want and what you need, little girl!

I am so glad you have started sleeping through the night, even if the extra sleep is messing with nap time. Your affection for Betsy, your stuffed dog, is quite charming. You chew on her ear when you go to bed like it's a pacifier. I love that you have a lovey, even if she gets very dirty.

Love,

Mom

....

Dear Gavin,

Where do you get your energy? Do you siphon it from me when I sleep next to you at night? I am constantly amazed at how fast you run, how loud you talk, and how incessantly you break into the pantry. Wouldn't you like to quietly work a puzzle or read a book?

You have more personality in your little toe than I will ever have. I love your expressive way of speaking, although your high, squeaky voice, which is appearing with greater regularity these days, is a little shocking for the ears. You're just too excited for anything calm and sedate.

Thank you for reminding me that it's OK to slow down and cuddle at night, and that "love is all you need" at bedtime. I promise not to lock you in your room any more if you promise to stay.in.bed, for crying out loud.

Love,

Mom

...

Dear Tyler,

How's it hangin'? I'm referring to that loose front tooth, of course. I suppose it's a rite of passage to have a tooth that dangles precariously/awkwardly for weeks on end. Let me know when you're ready for the floss-and-doorknob routine.

I'm glad we had a little chat the other night. I know it's hard to be the little brother who almost never wins at games of Speed or Mario Kart or Blink or UNO. But you have amazing talents, too, and one day you'll realize how special you are, in or out of Zachary's shadow.

Love,

Mom

...

Dear Zachary,

When did you get so tall? And old? I can't believe you're coming up on nine already. And third grade? Good grief.

As I think about the up-in-the-air status of our life, I worry most about you. I hope we land in a place that offers you a best friend, a good Cub Scout troop, and the perfect school environment. You have been to three schools in three years and done very well, but I am sorry for the instability in your life.

I love reading to you every night. The Lightning Thief is pretty awesome, isn't it? I can't wait to find out what happens to Percy and Grover tomorrow night.

Love,

Mom