Happy Halloween Part 1

We woke up to a gorgeous Halloween day. It's sunny, no wind and 72 degrees. When I think back to other Halloween weather (pre-Devin) we've seen pouring rain, sleet and very cold weather.

YAY!


Matt took the day off, but is (of course) golfing. I can't blame him, with this weather.

So Dev & I drove to a little street in the "Highlands" of Louisville. These are older homes in the "cool" part of town.

Hillcrest Street is known for its' all-out Halloween decorations.


Its also known for it's tendency to be the "Liberal" side of town. You see only Democrat signs...

Our neighborhood doesn't allow political signs in the yards. Which I love, because they make neighborhoods look like bad flea markets.


The haunted choo-choo.


Dev said, "scary clowns!"




















OK, I saved the best house for last.

Apparently the owner of this home blames Martha Stewart for the current economic crisis.

First, you walk up and see the headstones....


It's an entire yard of Halloween decorations dedicated to a dead Martha Stewart.

If she comes up missing...police might want to start looking here.


Some of the signs, don't really make sense. (To me, at least)


Um...yeah.


Kmart stuff was everywhere & notice the "Martha" coffee mug.


There may be some in-law "issues" as well.


We had a great time looking at the yards and taking a long walk in the warm sun.

More to come from Trick or Treating tonight!

Oh, I've been meaning to document a few funny phrases we've heard lately. Her vocabulary is exploding and she speaks in sentences. But, all that gets jumbled up sometimes:

-She calls Merry-Go-Rounds, "Here we go round the Mulberry Mush."

-She got into my tampons and brought me one saying, "Here you go Mama, a coupon for your tummy."

-Cash register is, "rice crasher."

Also, we learned about a new side of Devin during the preschool visit. We were sitting around waiting for our turn at the carnival, so Dev was coloring at the table. A little girl sneezed and Dev immediately stopped coloring, got up, walked to the other side of the room, grabbed a Kleenex and brought it to Sophie. We were stunned and the teachers were like, "oh yeah she does that stuff all the time." They said she's very empathetic. We also saw her grab a tissue when a little girl got upset and offer it to her.

Halloween Party at Preschool

As with most new things, we had a rough start.

She just couldn't figure out what was going on...


Once she figured out what was happening...it was like the clouds parted, the sun broke out and the angels sung. Her two worlds were colliding, in the best way.

This is the look of, "I get to be at preschool AND have Mama & Dada!"


Parading 100 preschoolers around is....um....interesting.


We saw TONS of Star Wars costumes.


Here's Dev's class.


Getting a "tattoo."


Playground time! It was in the 40's, but sunny & nice.


NO it's not a Halloween binky!! It's a noisemaker from the party. We had a great time at Devin's 1st Halloween Party.

A good day

Devin had a GREAT day at preschool. She's staying the entire time from 8:50-11:45. That gives me a wonderful break to get work done.


Although, Matt & I weren't 100% sure once we started thinking about it....



The ATP Challenger Series is in town this week. These are tournaments with $50,000 total purses, which pro players use to get points and increase their world ranking. (Which allows for entrance into the Majors)

This is a local 18 Yr old, Eric Quigley. He's the son of a friend from tennis and plays at U of K. He got his chance tonight, as he was a Wildcard into the main draw.






Unfortunately, he drew the #1 seed, Vince Spadea.
Vince Spadea
Mr Spadea has won $5 Million in prize money and beaten Federer, Agassi etc...

Eric lost 4-6, 4-6...a very good showing! He played really well, but you could see the seasoned pro turn it on when he needed to.

Devin has her preschool Halloween party tomorrow. They have a school-wide parade, carnival and room parties.

We'll see how Little Miss Schedule likes this change up...

Potty Learning Progress

That's the new term, "Potty Learning" instead of "training." I like it. It sounds less like training a dog...and more like what it is, helping a person learn a new skill.

The odd thing is, Devin is about 95% for the poo-poo. Which we're all very thankful for. She did this on her own, so we assume the rest will come when she's ready.

She's pee-peed in the potty once before & that was an accident, really. Yesterday, I found this Elmo potty seat. It's soft and cushy and just like the one she's seen at Gymboree. (Except that one was Dora, and we don't watch Dora)


Keep in mind, we've tried various potty seats. She likes the self-contained one, but it's a pain to clean. And, obviously you can't carry it around. Then you have to train again, on the "big" toilets. (And public restrooms....yuck)

Soooooooo, we asked if she just wanted to sit on this one.

She said yes.

This morning I asked again, she said yes. And this time she USED it! She was still dry after our trip to the mall and I asked again. She agreed & used it again. Then, SHE asked to use it for poo-poo.

3 times in one morning? Am I dreaming?

I'll admit to one other technique. I gave her ONE gummy bear after the 1st successful pee-pee and she was thrilled. She asked for one after the 2nd time. I'm hoping the tiny reward is enough to get her pointed in the right direction.

I still don't think she can sense the need to go. It's more like I catch times when she's been dry for awhile, so I know she'll be going soon.

The Hair

We went to Mall this morning...we had no less than 20 people stop us and discuss her hair.

The #1 question?

"Is it natural?"

Does this mean that it's common to curl or otherwise "fix" a 2.5 year old's hair? I'm lucky to get a comb through half of it, while she's watching Sesame Street. I seriously can't imagine getting something burning hot near her head.




Dev's hair actually looks best the less I mess with it.

To Devin-2008 Election

Devin, it will be so interesting to see what the political landscape looks like when you're my age. My guess, it won't be much different. (unfortunately)

It will probably take a while for you to pay any attention to politics. It was in high school when I started to care. I saw my first classmate getting ready to serve in the Gulf War. It was the first time I saw Army Camo in the desert style.

Both of your Grandpa's served in the US Army. You're so lucky to live in a country where there is a choice. That's why it's so, so important that you pay attention to current events and VOTE every chance you get.

This election is a 1st for me. I have no one to vote for. I will vote, but it will most likely be for someone that can't win.

http://www.ronpaul.com/on-the-issues/

I've always respected Ron Paul and his ideas for our country make so much sense. Basically, he wants to minimize the power for the Federal Government and give as much power to the states as possible. He's fiscally conservative, socially in-the-middle & follows the Constitution pretty closely. He voted against Iraq & would withdraw troops over time.

I respect John McCain, cant stand Palin & worry we'll get 4 more years of Bush-like policies.

I respect and agree with Obama on many social issues, but that's about it.

I promise, that's it for politics on this blog.

To Devin: "...It is a loving living memory to give your daughter when time has blurred what your reality is now. "

The title is a quote from another blog. This is the main reason for keeping this journal of sorts. I'm also glad it can help our geographically spread out family see you grow.

Certain Halloween things are scary for you this year. Just walking around the Halloween Store was too much! Although, some of the stuff IS quite gory and scary. And, BIG coming from the perspective of someone who's 37" tall.


Here's your 1st Halloween. You weren't walking yet...since you were about 6 months old.


2nd Halloween~1.5 yrs old


3rd Halloween~2.5 Years Old

Devin Returns To the Dentist

I'm convinced we've hit the dentist jackpot in Louisville. Matt and I love ours and Devin's is outstanding.

We returned today for the treatment of 6 cavities. Devin knew where she was and was not thrilled. Any time the door opened she shrieked & BIG tears started to fall.

*Keep in mind the key was for her to be calm enough to inhale the NO2 & relax.*

So, immediately the Dr. informs me we'll be lucky to get ONE cavity filled today. Dr. Yang reminds me of the "rules." I can stay with Devin as long as she doesn't cry. About 30 seconds into the NO2, she starts screaming. The next step would be for me to step just outside the room.

Dr. Yang looks her in the eye, "Do you want Mama to leave?" Devin screams, "NOOOOO."

"Then you need to stop crying and she can stay."

She stopped almost immediately. *whew*

After about 3 minutes of Nitrous, I can visibly see her start to relax. Dr. Yang returns to begin the process.

Step one was talk to Devin for 5+ minutes. I was so, so impressed. To say this Dr. is busy, is a tremendous understatement. She was 30 minutes behind, with a packed waiting room at 9:15 am. Yet, she still took the time to talk with Devin. We discussed her Peacock costume at length. They told her exactly what was going to happen.

After a few minutes, I was like....let's go ladies. I'm ready to get this over with.

Just as I thought this, Devin interrupted us to say, "I'm having a good time."

That cracked everyone up and she started. (NO2 did the trick!!)

Devin did so awesome, we got 4/6 cavities done. Dr. Yang said she did better than 99% of 2.5 year olds.

We have 2 more to go in mid-December. It takes 6-7 weeks to get in to the Dr., unless it's an emergency. The front 2 are the worst, but the Dr. said not to worry. She'll do her best, then they'll fall out sometime in the next 2.5 yrs.

Permanent teeth are sealed right away, which is good news. All of her new teeth are looking good and Dr. Yang said we're doing a good job. (Very little juice, no fruit snacks EVER and more cheese)

The Peacock

We finally got her costume on and painted a bit on her face. (Her favorite part)




She'll leave the headpiece on for about 5 minutes...

Big Girl Bed

Picture from last weekend, we took her to the Par 3 a few miles away. She loves to ride in the golf car, go up to each tee box and every green. It made for an exhausted Devin, who took a great nap that afternoon.

Nice follow through!



We ventured to Indiana for Pizza King, last night. It's in Charlestown, about 5 miles over the border.


The drinks are delivered via model train, which runs around the restaurant. And, there's a coin operated TV above each booth. This place is very popular, with 2+ hour waits for "train" tables. Which is why we were eating dinner at 4:45 pm on Saturday.


Pizza!


Since Devin was spending most of her sleeping hours on the floor, we figured it might be time for a "Big Girl Bed." The toddler mattress was long enough, but not wide enough for Devin's bizarre sleeping positions.

3 years ago we purchased a "convertible" crib. I'll admit, it did a nice job "converting" to a toddler bed. However, the conversion to a twin bed costs $200 for the kit & 8-10 weeks to deliver. Then, we would have to buy a guard rail to keep her from falling out.

So, we put the box springs on the floor and the old mattress on top of that.

Then, we realized the crib was put together in her room and will not fit through the doorway in one piece. After much work, her bed was ready.


She LOVED it. Interestingly, this was one transition she was excited about from the moment I raised the question, "Are you ready for a Big Girl Bed?" It's the first time she's allowed a blanket to cover her...she helped a pick a super-soft "fuzzy" blanket from Target. The sheets are Organic Cotton 300 Thread Count, also from Target. ($30.00 on Sale)

I guess the look is Dormitory Chic, for now. We'll get a real bed someday....

(I'm still getting firm "NO's" when I ask if she's ready for Big Girl Underwear)

Yay! The WHOLE Day...Finally.

As with most things Devin, we go from one extreme to the other.

She made it through the whole "routine" at preschool. I picked her up in carpool like everyone else.

I have always gone in to get her, just ahead of carpool to shorten her overall time. However, doing this meant she always missed the closing songs and story. I went in to get her today and peeked carefully through the glass. Her back was to me, she was sitting in a chair at the table coloring with markers. Keep in mind "coloring" means getting marker all over her hands, paper, Froggy, etc...

Miss Noelle snuck out and told me about her day. She said Dev did great until music time was over and they had to walk back to the regular classroom. She started crying & was getting very worked up. Is was disturbing the otherwise calm classroom and she told Devin it was, "making the other children sad." And, that if she needed to cry, she was going to have to do it the "Blue Chair" across the room. It took about 15 seconds for her to gather herself and join the group.

Yay Miss Noelle!

She also threw a small tantrum at not getting to eat her cookie from snacktime. They were given plenty of time to eat it and she chose to play. THEN, wanted her cookie when it was time for playground. Again, the choice of staying behind to eat or follow the group helped Devin move on.

We have noticed giving Devin a few reasonable choices seems to help certain situations.

Other than those 2 things, they said she was very calm and engaged. She explored the room a bit more and was happy (no tears) when Miss Irene brought her to my car.

Her choice for lunch meant her new favorite...Shiraz. Iranian food of all things. We get the Joojeh Kabob, Persian white rice, Hummus and Tzaziki Sauce. (You know the strong garlic, cucumber, ceyenne pepper yogurt sauce!!) She eats with such joy at this place. It's fun to watch. And, nice for us...she is totally happy, can feed herself completely. So, I'm not constantly having to attend to her. Matt joined us today, making it extra-nice. (The owner totally knows us and can't believe what she eats) She even has a Shiraz song she made up.

FINALLY, some fall-like weather. I have all of Devin's awesome fall/winter wardrobe washed and ready to go! She'll outgrow this stuff, if it doesn't get cold.

"It's Halloween Time!"

Nothing much going on around here, just regular life. I read other blogs filled with pain, tragedy and sickness...a constant reminder of how healthy & happy we are. (Even when it's not immediately apparent!!)

Devin-It's a trip listening to her talk. She busts out some pretty funny sentences these days. And, her near-constant singing continues. I like when she combines songs:

"Old Mac Donald had a farm and Bingo was his name-o"
"E. I. N. G. O! And, cinco was his name-o!"

We're thinking she wasn't feeling good yesterday, which led to an awful day at preschool. She didn't cry when I dropped her off, but apparently cried the entire next hour. She was hyperventilating and almost getting sick. Miss Noelle called and we agreed it was best to come get her. (We're very careful about doing that, so we don't teach her crying gets me there earlier) Her odd mood continued the entire day. She threw several "lay on the ground" tantrums over very small things. After her nap, she was in a much better state.

Mom reminded me about her past reaction to the Measles Vaccine. About 10 days later, we saw a low-grade fever, slight rash and irritability/lack of appetite. I can't believe I forgot about that, as she had the exact same thing this time. It was even more pronounced as I had to get the MMR & Varicella vaxes together, to keep her legal for preschool. Luckily, no more shots for 2 years.

Today, we had the regular Devin back.

I'm thinking there's nothing quite like a year old on this planet. I have never in my life been more amazed, frustrated, angry, tired, overjoyed and 100% in love. The biggest challenge for me, is being patient. That trait just doesn't come easy for me in any situation. Especially, when I have very little control.

We're waiting for the weather to cool off to try on her Halloween Costume. She's going as a peacock and seems to have a slight understanding of the holiday. She knows it has to do with candy.

Speaking of candy, her return trip to the dentist is next week. They use N02 & a lot of praying when trying to fill a toddler's cavity. Let's hope for the best. We forgot to add Devin to Matt's dental plan & have to 100% out-of-pocket. It's $1000 if everything goes perfect.

Gnomes, Attorneys & Gerbils, Oh My!

The weather today (Saturday) is just about as good as it gets. (If you like sun, 70 degrees and a tiny breeze)

We drove out to the Simpsonville Flea Market, where the gas is as cheap as we've paid in over a year!!


Now I've been to a few flea markets in my life. But, Matt promised me I'd never seen anything like this. (He was right)

These are the "outdoor" booths you can rent for $15.00/day. Apparently, you can sell just about anything you want except firearms, alcohol/tobacco, pornography & live humans.

Seriously, anything else goes.


Marbles.


New & Used Barbies


Devin's head nearly exploded when we ran across this booth. Keep in mind, these are all "gently used" items. My overwhelming urge to spray Lysol on everything and wash our hands, was only eclipsed by Dev's happiness.


So, I gritted my teeth as she chose a Big Bird and Baby Bop ($3.00 total)


There were various college-themes gnomes.


Isn't this precious? Is there anything cuter than dressing your toddler up as a future gangster?

Crip or Blood?



No offense to Grandpa Ray, but when we need a good attorney we prefer one who offers, "buy one get one free gerbils."






I did get some nice produce and a cute bracelet that says "Devin." Spelled correctly and for a girl...very rare indeed.

Devin though it was the greatest place ever & didn't want to leave.

AND, they had Mum's 4 for $10.00...Score!