An Apple A Day...

This week was annual checkup week for us and I'm happy to say, we all got clean bills of health. I had the bright idea of scheduling both kids at once which turned out to be more chaotic than I anticipated. It saved me a lot of time but I'm very glad Emma was there to help!

CJ is 31" and 21lbs (the 90-95% for height and 25-50% for weight). He had to get two shots and a toe prick. He was not a happy camper but Bria cheered him up.

Bria is 41" and 33lbs (the 50% range for height & weight) She was very brave when she got 3 shots.

I had to get a shot too, which surprised me. They are combining tetanus with whooping cough vaccines now since there has been a resurgence of whooping cough. I'm not going to say what Chris and I weighed in at during our checkups ;-)... but we both will be embarking upon serious diet and exercise programs. ha ha I went to the dentist this week also and got a good report in spite of less than stellar flossing habits this year.

So guess what my New Year's resolutions are?

The Harsh Realities of Life.. at 4

As you all know, we've had a rough year. Birth, death, aging, sickness, doctors, hospitals, -- in a word, reality.

It is tough enough on an adult. But I can't help but worry how this reality computes in the mind of a 3-4 yr old. Take the year we've had and combine it with simple things that I just don't think about too much like: why dinasours don't need their bones anymore, why polar bears eat penguins and seals, what kind of animal was killed and by whom to get the meat on our table, how fur coats/leather bags are made and why don't the animals need their skin and fur? Are hunters bad guys? What happened to Bambi's mother? Why are squirrels afraid of people? The list goes on...

She is full of innocence. In her mind, penguins and squirrels, baby dolls and Dora the Explorer all have thoughts and feelings like we do. Everyone and everything is nice and kind and wants to do the right thing. The worst thing to have happen to you is to be told "that's not nice!".

Together with carefully screened storybooks and TV shows we've created this non-violent, politically correct world for her to believe in. Then reality comes crashing in from all angles: preschool, documentaries (supposed to be educational), science lessons and life in general. Are we setting her up?

I'd like to think I can keep pace but sometimes I'm not so sure. I have drawn from my religious faith often to get through the most difficult times. But even that doesn't provide an easy bridge from innocence to reality.

Earlier this month, I took her to church to celebrate the Epiphany and told her to listen carefully because they would talk about how the wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus. And she did listen carefully. She then became very concerned when the Priest quoted Jesus as saying "Take this and drink.. this is my blood." She wanted to know if that was really God's blood in the cup and was the Priest going to drink it? How did they get God's blood? Was everybody going to drink it? etc.. I had had a sweet, religious encounter with my daughter in mind. Suddenly, it all felt very dark and macabre. *sigh* Not exactly the material of Noggin' or PBS Kids.

Getting started

Hi everybody,

My sister-in-law started a blog recently to keep us posted on her son.. our littlest nephew.

I've enjoyed it so much that I thought I'd give it a try too. It's a great way to keep friends and family posted on what's new! Just another way to keep in touch so why not?

You can pop in whenever you feel like it and catch up on what's new with our crew.

I'll try to post once a week and keep it short so it's quick and easy to read.
Catch ya later ;-)