Riley and Avery

So, I went to school last night and Rudi took the girls out to Barnes & Noble. Instead of having the salmon that I put out for them, he took the girls to Wendy's. When I come home, the girls are in the middle of their "dinner." Avery's mouth turns red and she starts saying that her throat hurts and feels scratchy and funny. I looked inside her mouth and she had hives. I give her Benadryl. I don't know what it could have been. Looking at the Wendy's allergy information, very very very few items have peanuts (just their Butterfinger candy for shakes have peanuts, and their M&Ms may contain peanuts). Avery was eating chicken nuggets, which do contain milk. Either the nuggets were minutely exposed to peanuts, or she is reacting to milk again. I don't know which. Thanks goodness we only have a couple more days to go before her allergy appointment. I might have her re-tested, either the scratch test or a blood test. I think Avery is still too young for a peanut challenge. So it goes...

So we went to the library Luau on Saturday. It was really quite a lot of fun. They had so many crafts and the dancers were phenomenal! I think that my favorite was the slap dance that the men and boys did. It's really great that the library puts on these programs for free.

Sorry that the pictures are so horrible. I brought my camera only to find that the batteries were completely missing (lesson learned: the kids can steal batteries from you at any time), luckily Riley brought her camera, but it ran out of batteries too. So I was left with my cell phone. Hence the horrible pictures.

At the end, the dancers taught the kids some moves. We learned that Riley has absolutely no body-awareness. (Dear, your shoulders are not the same as your hips! But hey, you're the first to dance the hula with your shoulders!) Avery was actually pretty good and followed the directions well. Rudi took one look at Riley and was like "Um, that girl needs to take dance lessons." So yeah, maybe we'll put Riley in dance classes. Who knows?

So, as everyone already knows, Avery ate a contaminated cookie from Perkin's restaurant. It wasn't too bad, but still scary. Just wanted to document it here in case I need to reference the experience later. You know, this is like my online diary. The first time she coughed and vomited, and her mouth turned red. That was at Riley's school when she actually ate a bite of a peanut butter cookie. This time the cookie didn't have peanuts or peanut butter in it, just cross-contaminated somehow. She coughed, said her throat was hurting (perhaps hives in her throat? I should have looked, in hindsight) and vomited. An immediate dose of Benadryl stopped the reaction. But I keep hearing that the third time's the charm, and that reactions get worse, so I just now called her allergist and she has an appointment on Friday at 10:15 to discuss an epi-pen. Yay. This also means that the epi pen must go everywhere with her, which means that I should carry a bag. Which means I should get a bag.

Again, we went to the Preschool program at the Garden of the Gods Nature Center. This time the girls learned about the birds in the park, and made binoculars out of toilet paper tubes. Avery think they're real binoculars. It's kind of cute.

Of course, even though this craft did not involve glue, Avery had to wash her hands. She's so neat and clean like that.

....while you're "enjoying" sub-freezing temperatures, it's sunny and warm, in the 60s in the great state of Colorado!! (feel free to rub it in my face next time we have a cold snap)


We went to the Money Museum today (because it's free) and the girls had a good time there. Better than I thought they would. Actually, Avery and Riley were both much more interested in the execution of King Charles I than anything else in the museum. Oh, well, I have morbid children, what do you expect?

Then we headed over to Old Colorado City for the Ice On the Avenue show. The ice sculptures were really cool. Not the best day for it, honestly, since it was so warm. Well, it was nice for the spectators, but not the sculptures!

Afterward, we walked around window shopping and looking at galleries. Riley and Avery got these horrible white-chocolate covered "snowmen" that made me sick to the stomach just looking at them. Yuck. But they loved them and they were a treat, so....

So we went to the Garden of the Gods visitor's center for their weekly preschool program. They were read a story about Magpie's Nest and then made their own magpie's nests. It was a lot of fun for the girls. The young woman leading the program was great with the children. I was glad that Rudi was there because these other mothers are not mothers that I would feel comfortable around at all. Not at all. Yuppies and such. Oh, and since a picture is worth a 1000 words:

How many of these children are doing their own crafts? Um, just Riley and Avery. Some of the mothers actually took the nests away from their children so that the mothers could do them!! The mothers were standing and holding the nests high above the children's heads and smoothing them out and covering un-covered spots! It was insane! Rudi and I were the only parents not all up in their kids business. An interesting study on parenting culture. I did have to get the tissue paper from the middle of the table for the girls because they couldn't reach, but that's all I did. Of course, we looked like the unattached uninvolved parents, not the ones letting their kids explore and discover and express themselves freely. But whatever.



So, after the program, we went to their cafeteria for a drink and snack. Then we went to the gift shop. All in all, we spend $30 on a free event. Not cool. Since it's really nice out, Rudi asked if we should go downtown or to Manitou, and I said that sure, as long as we spend absolutely no money. He got all huffy and was like "fine, we'll just go home then." Grrrr. I am so tired of being the stick-in-the mud boring do-nothing penny-pincher, so he can play the freewheeling money spender. He seriously needs to meet me halfway.

I had a long talk with the girls that we will be going to these programs twice a month, and that the other times we go, we will not be getting snack, and we will not visit the gift shop. I was unprepared this time. Not next time. Geez, with Rudi as their father, they think the world is one huge gift shop and a place isn't worth visiting if it doesn't have a gift shop (I can't even count how many times we've gone somewhere and Rudi gripes about he absence of a gift shop).

Ah, yes, and I am seriously putting an enormous dent in the children's toys. They have way too much. It's like I turned by head that the toys multiplied. I'll try to sell them first, make room in their room, and use the funds I'll hopefully raise in order to buy a used bunk bed set for them. That's my goal, we'll see what happens...

Mostly pictures:

Avery really wanted to use Riley's doll sling but A) I have no idea where it is currently and B) Riley has no interest in sharing it. So, we made a make-shift one out of a play silk. She had fun with it. Avery said "Mommy, put Bag Baby in the carrier! I need the baby carrier!" and Riley said "MY baby carrier? The ones with the dinosaurs on it? NO! Just put your baby in a stroller!" And I was like "Nooooooooo! I'll make you a carrier!"



Riley got my old keyboard out and a storage bin lid (which she asked me if she could color on and I was like "Yeeeeaaaaah?" wondering what she had in store) and she asked me for books. I gave her some library books and she asked me if I was checking them out or returning them:) She even "demagnetized" the spines. Then she asked if I wanted to check out some movies, so I gave her some, and she opened up every case to check the DVD like the librarian does. It was just really cute and inventive, I thought.

...Riley's anxiety, that is. Rudi just left for Barnes and Noble with the girls and Riley just collapsed into a weepy pile upon leaving. Irrational weeping. "I'm afraid that you don't want me and that you'll forget me!!" Ugh, I thought this was over and done with. I guess perhaps I'll call the play therapist and see what she thinks. She released Riley from treatment back when she was on the medication, and now that she's off of it, her anxiety is starting to ramp up again. Don't forget that it took about 1 1/2 years to reach its peak last time, and we were able to roll with it for a while, but I envision it getting back to where is was someday down the road. I guess "breaking the cycle" didn't work and perhaps she is just naturally prone to anxiety. In which case, we seriously need to work on coping mechanisms, if she is going to be saddled with this her whole life. Urgh...It never ends.

Sprinkles really likes Avery. She has started tolerating being petted, and is still quite nosy. However, she will ask to be petted if Avery is around. She's the only one who Sprinkles actively seeks. Which is a good thing because Sprinkles is Avery's rabbit. The guinea pigs have started demanding what the rabbits get. The rabbits get fresh vegetables because they're essential to their diet. Whenever I give the rabbits veggie, the guinea pigs come up and voice their displeasure at being left out. The same thing with hay. It's funny.

So, if no one knows yet, I'm digging this new computer. I'm even inspired to try programs that I had on the old iBook but never used. Like iCal. I found a cool website, Mykidsweek.com, that lists family activities by the day for the Colorado Springs area. Sweet. Today we went to a model train expo (mostly for Rudi and Avery, both love trains). Tomorrow they have a Astronaut and Space event at the library we'll be going to. Also, the Garden of the Gods visitor's center has free preschool programs every Friday morning which we reserved spots for. This Friday, they'll be reading Aesop's "Magpie's Nest" and making papier-mache birds nests. I think they'll like that. And the classes are limited to ten kids, so it's not like it'll be a zoo. I signed up for the classes through February, about once every two weeks. And afterward we may take a stroll through the Garden of the Gods. In the cold. Yeah, I have a problem in the winter. I seriously never want to leave the house. I hate winter. Seriously hate it. A lot. So I need a little motivation to get out. Like a schedule of events. Oh yeah!

Meh. I'm done for now.

Those pictures are in reverse order. I keep reminding myself to upload them differently because for some reason blogger reverses them, but well, you can't teach a a old dog...I'll stop there.

Riley had her birthday ceremony at school today. We dropped her off at school and then went to waste some time at Borders (which is extremely close to her school) where Avery convinced me to buy a bunch of Christmas stuff that was 50-70% off, including a gift bag with a snap closure, and get this, it sings "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" when it's opened. VERY LOUD. And as if that wasn't enough she discovered an identical bag to give to Riley. Yay.

About 1 1/2 hours later we went back to Riley's school for her ceremony. It was fun. I made oatmeal sunflower seed cookies, including a batch without sunflower seeds for the peanut-allergic children (sunflower seeds that are safe from cross-contamination are impossible to find, trust me). The kids seemed to like them and the teachers raved over them. They turned out a bit sweet, so next time I'll cut some of the sugar. I don't know, the ceremony was cute. When I dropped Riley off at school, the kids saw me with the tray of cookies and immediately knew there would be a ceremony and several of the girls ran up to Riley and hugged her and wished her a happy birthday. Avery participated in the ceremony and is really starting to like school, which I don't like. I mean, I don't want her to hate school, but I wasn't really planning on sending her to preschool. So I would prefer indifference.

Avery really really really really wanted to stay today, and Riley wanted to come home after the ceremony. I had gone over the plans with her prior to going to school, that I would drop her off, go out for coffee, come back for the ceremony, and then go home and come back to pick her up. However, when she has field trips on full-days, we usually get done with the trip too late for it to make sense for me to go home and then pick her up. So she wanted to follow the usual plan and go home with me. So I have Avery crying to stay and Riley crying to go home. Urgh...We worked it out, though. Miss Elizabeth is really awesome with kids having separation issues (Riley often) and it usually takes Riley 5 seconds before she forgets all about me and I leave feeling dejected. I think she just needs to go directly from my care to someone else's care. She can't just be loosed upon the world without an anchor. My Riley.

So, at Riley's school, 3 and 4-year-olds are supposed to take a nap, or at least have quiet time, while the 5 and 6 year-olds get to do other things. Before her birthday, I would always ask Riley if she took a nap. She'd always say "I HAVE to take a nap, I'm FOUR!" Then I'd ask her if she just laid there or if she slept and she'd say "Of course I slept, I'm FOUR!!" Her strict adherence to the rules at school is funny because she is the complete opposite at home. So the very day she turned five, she announced on the way home from school that she didn't take a nap that day because she is five and she doesn't have to.

I tell you, today was crazy warm! It was 63 degrees here in the Springs. Avery refused to wear even a light jacket this morning and we went for a bike ride around the hood while Riley was at school. I wish that I had planned a less time-consuming dinner so that I could have stopped at the playground on the way home from Riley's school, but alas, I didn't. And I had no leftovers left (I shoved them down the family's throat two days ago) and nothing quick on-hand to make. Perhaps that's why people watch the weather, to plan these things. Meh. It'll probably be sub-zero tomorrow.

Plus, I paid $1.29 for gas yesterday! Score!!

Wow, I'm blabbing...

Ah, where to start?

We went to the Downtown Aquarium in Denver yesterday for Riley's birthday fun. She picked where to go, and I think she made a good choice. We got started a little late, starting for Denver around 10:30 (we were shooting for 9am, but well...). It was a little expensive, but not as expensive as the Baltimore Aquarium. I packed a whole backpack full of food and drink, so we didn't have to give the Aquarium any more of our money than was absolutely necessary. Riley requested a sub sandwich for our trip, so I got a huge one for us all to share (and still only managed to eat half of it between the four of us!)

Riley and Avery really enjoyed looking at all the fish. They had an area that simulated a thunderstorm and flash flood. The girls really liked it, and Avery ventured right in front of the plexiglass waiting for the flash flood, and then thought better of it.

Riley and Avery both liked touching the starfish and shark eggs in the touching tank. Avery's favorite part was the hand sanitizer. She's such a girl.



Both of the girls touched the sting rays, and then we realized that you could buy some dead fish to feed the sting rays. So we bought the fish (four of them) and set out to feed the sting rays. Avery grabbed a fish and held onto it for her turn (I now know that she didn't realize that they were real dead fish, because Avery said "real fish swim around, so those weren't real!"). Riley was a little jumpy the first time and dropped the fish in the water. She succeeded the next two times, and I tell you, her fist was completely inside the sting ray's mouth! I mean, completely! Avery fed her fish but got a lot of help from the aquarium lady. Then she got to use the hand sanitizer again. Score for Avery.






By this time Rudi was griping over eating, and once he starts nagging for food, he became totally useless to me. He'd stand at the end of the exhibit waiting for us to come through, while some strange elderly lady picks up Riley to help her look at the exhibits while I carry Avery. Duh. We sat in the cafeteria and blatantly broke the "no outside food or drink" rule, but no one said anything to us. While we were eating, both girls wanted a balloon from the balloon twister lady. They were only a dollar, so we said go ahead. Riley got a purple swan and Avery got a pink mouse. Oh my goodness, does Avery love that mouse! She had eyes only for it for the rest of the trip, and is still playing with it today. I mean, she really digs that mouse!

Then we went to the gift shop and let Riley and Avery spend some of their birthday money. They both went for the rock bin and got (more) rocks. Yay. Riley asked if she could get something else too, and I said "Of course, you have $20 to spend to do whatever you want with." She was so happy!! She got a stuffed animal and a tiger figure and was thrilled with that. Avery got an otter stuffed animal.

We then went to the Tattered Cover bookstore, Rudi's favorite joint. We finally headed out at almost 5pm and hit rush hour traffic pretty hard. We had to stop on the way home for cigars and to pick up Riley's birthday cake. She had picked out a horse cake. It's funny, Riley really didn't understand doing the birthday party a day early. Totally didn't comprehend.

When I told her "happy birthday" this morning, she first checked her teeth to see if any were loose. I don't know where she got the idea that teeth fall out when you're five. I certainly didn't tell her that, since I know sometimes not until six. I hope she gets a loose tooth soon, at least so we don't have to keep discussing it.

Hmmm...what else?

I tried to file my taxes and the IRS said you can't until after the 16th. I don't recall that being the case last year. Bummer.

The VA shorted me on my education benefits. Again. I'm on the phone right now to ask where my money is. This really gets tiring.

Ugh, I can't believe that I am the mother of a 3-year-old and 5-year-old. Talk about feeling old!!


And now, as if worrying about Riley's school next year isn't enough, I don't know what to do with Avery. I had kind of decided to homeschool-ish her, but she really really really likes school and really really really wants to stay at Riley's school when we drop Riley off in the morning. I've always kind of had a hunch that she may be that child who just really likes going to school, but now I am at square one with a different child. I simply don't know what to do. Riley also wants her little sister to attend her school, but Riley will be going to a different school next year and there is just simply no money to enroll Avery this year at Riley's school. Ah, no rest for the weary!!

People, I have entered the modern age and we're getting hooked up with cable internet tomorrow! Oh, my goodness, I can hardly contain myself! The man is coming between 1-3 tomorrow and we'll put on our prettiest frocks and put bows in our hair and eagerly await his arrival.



This is Avery petting Twinkles and Sprinkles. Sprinkles doesn't really prefer being petted (she'd rather just nose around in your business) but they were laying together so I just walked up and sat next to them and started petting them. Then Avery came up and started petting their tails, and well, rabbits do not like that. So Sprinkles ran off. Avery sat and started petting Twinkles' head. Sprinkles actually came back for more petting! That has never happened! Magic Avery. Perhaps Sprinkles is getting used to us after all. Well, it hasn't been a month yet, so we're not doing to badly at all.

This post is a day old already, so I'm letting it go and will post again when we have our internet up!!