The Turtle

Quinn was born a full week later than his due date after 19 hours of labor, 3 hours of pushing and a C-section. He obviously didn't want to come out of that cozy nest. His personality is similar to that birth story. He is slow to wake up in the mornings, he likes routines and doesn't like change too much, and is very patient. He will spend hours building a new Lego ship, car, hotel, etc. and hours drawing pictures of intricate animals. Even now, he is laying in bed and keeps calling me to answer funny questions (i.e. how do you spell house?) because it takes him at least a half hour to settle down and fall asleep.

His tooth loosing pattern has fallen nothing short of this personality. As I've written, his first tooth he swallowed. The second one was so dead when it came out that it broke in half when I tried to maneuver it into the tooth pillow. This third one was so loose and he literally would not bite with his front teeth for weeks. We were begging him to take it out, even so far as James offering him $20 if he lost it on his own accord before December 1st. Well, even that wouldn't entice him.

On Saturday morning, he was eating a roll with butter for breakfast. It was a homemade very soft roll leftover from Thanksgiving and he obviously forgot not to bite with his front teeth. And so his tooth came out. And he came to me, very nervous telling me that he lost his tooth. Of course, I was all "You didn't swallow another one, did you?!?!". He wasn't sure but good thing James told me to check the suspect roll. And sure enough, I found the tooth lodged in the roll covered in butter. Subject tooth then washed off and left that night for the tooth fairy. Of course he didn't get his $20 (and honestly, he tried on the technicality that it came out prior to December 1st) but the fairy left $2 and he was happy. And this one didn't even break in half, so I guess we are showing signs of improvement :)

Thankful

Yesterday, James and I went to Keely's classroom for their program with the Kindergarteners. The Pre-K class was dressed up as Indians and the K class was the pilgrims. They each took turns singing songs and doing dances. It was a cute program followed by the pilgrims and Indians taking part in a combined feast. Here's Keely showing her bipartisanship posing with her best K friend, Lexi.
Smiling Keely, singing the celebration song that the tribe would sing when they brought home their feast.
And lastly, Keely and her friend Olivia...
A couple of weeks ago, Keely brought home this cornucopia from a project at school. She is thankful for all the usual things including grandparents, parents, brother, pets...and also for the entire Wolter family! She loves her cousins and talks lots about the few times she has spent with them. I thought that was so cute, and funny that her teacher had to wrap the text around the bottom because she is thankful for so many people. She is such a sweet little girl!
Lastly, Quinn had to do an assignment in computers class, writing a paragraph about what Thanksgiving means to him. Hopefully it is readable, he typed the entire thing by himself and did a pretty good job spelling most words or at least closely spelling the words he didn't know.
My favorite, most amusing part is in the second line..."then my dad and my mom do a sot". For those who need a translation (I did) sot = shot. The history there is that James and I do a shot of Wild Turkey at kickoff of most Hokies football games for good luck. The last time we did one, I was upstairs in my room and James was downstairs getting out shot glasses, etc. and I hear Quinn say, "I want to do a shot for the Hokies!". Don't worry, faithful readers, he did a shot of milk. So back to the paragraph, he confused the turkey on the holiday with the Turkey for the Hokies. And I can only hope that the teacher doesn't think we are lushes :)

Charity

We attended the noon mass yesterday. At the end, there were a flurry of announcements for holiday giving -- i.e. food banks, Christmas tree ornaments with needs for families, and lastly a service project that two 8th graders are doing to collect socks for the homeless. That seemed like an easy enough thing to do and we were headed to Target after mass anyways. So while there we picked out 10 pairs each of mens', boys' and girls' socks.


This was the resulting conversation at the checkout counter:


Keely to the cashier: "Will you please put those socks in a separate bag for me?"


Me to the cashier: "No, that's okay."


Me to Keely: "Keely, those socks are not for you. They are for charity."


Keely to me: "Who's Charity???"


Me to Keely: "Charity is a thing, not a person sweetie."

So funny what children say. I am still laughing when I hear her say it in my head :) Obviously, I then did a little more explaining about people less fortunate than us, etc. The kids already know about it from our giving to DI and some of the service projects they've done at school. I talk to my kids like I do to adults and sometimes I have to remember to use smaller words!

Date Night

About a year ago, Keely decided she was going to attend a gymnastics class. This was news to me, but when she decides that she wants to do something, I have no choice but to concede or else she will keep bugging me about it. Persistence is a strong suit for her, no doubt. So I set out to find her a gymnastics class and settled on The Little Gym. She attended a gym class on Saturday mornings for the rest of their winter semester and really liked it. What I didn't like was the fee for the class so I didn't sign her up again. However, the initial membership I paid for lasted for a whole year and will end next month.

The unintended consequence of this gym membership was Parents' Survival Night. One Friday night a month, they babysit for your kids from 6-10 PM. The cost is reasonable ($30 for 2 kids) and they let the kids play in the gym, feed them pizza, do art projects and watch a movie. My kids love it and we've taken advantage of it a few times. Last night was one such night. I dropped the kids off about 6 PM and picked James up from the bus stop. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant, complete with a very lovely glass of wine for me :) Then we went over to Target and browsed the toys and books section and it was very nice to do that child-free. It's so nice to have alone time with James. We don't even talk that much about the kids, but more about higher life philosophies and big picture things. It's a break in the monotony and gives us a glimpse back into our pre-child days. We had a really nice evening, and the kids had such a fun time that they didn't want to come home when we picked them up. Me thinks I may have to sign up for another year membership at TLG just so we can take advantage of more!

School Trouble

Yesterday upon arriving home from work & school, we were surprised to have a phone message from Quinn's teacher. She explained that over the past couple of weeks, Quinn has not been very respectful of his teachers or his friends trying to complete their work. This Monday, the teacher was out with a sick child and the aide was the substitute for the day. Quinn was very disrepectful of the aide and was supposed to write an apology letter to her that evening at home. We knew nothing of this...on Monday, Quinn had told me that the teacher was out sick but nothing more. So yesterday morning, he had to write the apology letter first thing in the morning. We both spoke to Quinn last night, several times about behaving in class. James is more stern with him, the true disciplinarian. I am a softie, and would rather handle it from an empathetic approach. Today, I called his teacher in the morning to let her know we are on the job, and will keep reinforcing the behavior at home. She called back at lunchtime to say that he was very upset when she told him she was calling us, and that since that point he had shaped up his behavior quite a bit. Today, he also behaved very well and when I asked Quinn at the end of the day how he did, he said the teacher told him it was an excellent day. His teacher also reinforced that he's a "good little guy" and hopefully just by working with him at home we can nip this problem in the bud. I sure hope so, I don't like being surprised by things like this.

Again, out of my control and I feel so helpless. There is so much trust involved with parenting...you try your best and hope they make good choices when they aren't with you. I know this will only get more challenging as they get older, and it makes me yearn (slightly) for the younger years.

Quinn must be having a bad week, tonight he split his head open when he fell from a chair. He was standing on it, trying to reach something...something he's been told not to do...and he fell and hit his head on the corner of two walls. He's in bed now with a bandage on his head, looking like The Karate Kid. He also has a VERY loose tooth and refuses to touch it for fear that it may come out. I guess the tooth fairy is not enough to entice him.

So that's a glimpse into Quinn's life right now. I'm hopeful that his school news will be more positive next time!

"The Only Kid"

Having two children is a challenge. I would never want to have an only child, but sometimes I wonder how much my children "like" each other. I know they love each other, because siblings are supposed to love each other but sometimes it just seems like they would rather not have a sibling. My sister and I fought like cats and dogs. We get along fine now, but there was a time when I wondered if that day would ever come. I always wanted more children (3-4), but after having two so close in age, it seems like about all we can handle. I struggle with only having two children and I hope I don't regret that choice later on in life. We are blessed with two happy healthy children though and I know how lucky we are to have them. Wow, that was a digression from the intent of this post.

James and I try to give each child some one on one time on the weekends, not consistently but as much as we can. Last weekend, James took Quinn to Science Day at the U and Keely and I did a girls morning, complete with manicures and pedicures and hair styling (for her, not me). This Sunday, Keely had a play date with her best friend Lexi. Before she left, Keely told Quinn "Have fun being the only kid in the house!". She was gone for about 3 hours so we had some quiet time with just Quinn and it was really nice. Then I took Quinn to a fund raiser for his school, Mother/Son Bowling. They rented out the whole alley and we bowled for 2 hours & and they gave away prizes, had raffles, and refreshments for all. It was a nice event. Our lanes didn't have bumpers but the kids were good sports even though they didn't get many pins down. Quinn took home a play sword and a little green monkey, and I got a bubble bath gel and candle (I gave Keely the bath gel). They took pictures of each mom and son, and printed off the pictures before we left. Here is ours...

Cute, huh? Quinn was glad to have some time alone with Mom, and James took Keely to Wendy's for a late lunch while we were gone. Then it was back together for family time, and it only took minutes before they were fighting again :( Oh well, the fighting makes us cherish the times when they play nicely together.

Ice Skating

In downtown Salt Lake City, there is an outdoor ice rink in Gallivan Plaza. Every year, they open in mid-November for the winter skating season and the first night is always free to everyone. That's free skate rentals and free skating all day. This year, they also had free hot chocolate! We've been before, not last year but the year before. The kids were really excited this year. It almost didn't happen because Quinn woke up sick this morning and stayed home from school, but he was feeling better by the evening :)

We drove downtown about 5 PM and ate dinner at Lamb's Grill, a Salt Lake staple with yummy food. Then we walked over to the plaza. What surprises me most is that the crowds are not bad considering that it's free. Maybe it isn't well publicized, but I don't care because we take full advantage. James didn't want to skate so that left me with two beginners (and I'm not all that good of a skater myself!). The last time we skated last Christmas, it didn't go well. I didn't have high expectations but after a couple of times around, the kids started to improve. Keely especially seems to be really getting the hang of it, and we were going around at my full speed (again, not too fast because I am not that good) with her asking to go again and again. Quinn is not as natural but got better the last couple of times around. We even got to watch the zambonie (sp?) go around and clean the ice, and then headed over for some hot chocolate. Quinn said it was F-U-N (and yes, he did spell it out) and Keely said more than once that she loved ice skating and could we come back again tomorrow? Well, not tomorrow sweet girl...but I can say we will go again this winter because it was a really fun evening! Here are a few pictures to document it, albeit a little grainy because they were taken with my cell phone camera.

Around the House

This weekend was one where lots of things got done around the house. Last weekend we had purchased a storm door for our front door and James put it up on Sunday afternoon. I never thought I would be so happy to have a storm door. It lets so much light through the foyer and into the kitchen and I look forward to taking advantage on some of those really nice Utah sunny days. I meant to take a picture of it, but it doesn't really matter because it looks like any other storm door. It's black and has nickel etching on the glass.

We also finally bought an ottoman/coffee table for the family room to match The New Couch. We've been looking since we got the couch...since it was such a small space, normal coffee tables weren't going to work. Last week, James found this ottoman at World Market (one of our favorite eclectic stores). The cubes nest inside and the top can either be a tray or a leather ottoman. We went and bought it on Saturday and it's great for our room and matches really nicely. I'm sitting with my legs propped on it now and the kids are enjoying the cubes and eating breakfast on it. So far, it seems like a pretty versatile piece!

I also got some fall cleaning done on Sunday including putting away summer clothes and going through all my clothes to make up a bag for DI (Deseret Industries, the Utah equivalent of the Salvation Army). Lastly, I got into the kids' rooms and cleaned them both. About 2-3 times a year, we have the kids make a bag for DI as well but this time was just a general room cleaning and putting things back where they belong (A place for everything and everything in its place is my motto!). But Quinn got mad that I wasn't giving anything away and got his own trash bag to fill with Cars stuff for DI :) I love that they realize that they are very lucky children and that there are children not so lucky. So that was about it, it's nice to have a clean house and we'll hope it lasts at least a few days. The clutter will creep back in though, it always does!

Sleepover!

Quinn had his very first sleepover this weekend, for his friend's 8th birthday. There were about 9 boys there for the big event, with Quinn being the youngest and only one in 1st grade. He was super excited. The night started at 6:30 PM and they had pizza, cake and just played like boys do -- crazy and wild. I can only presume by the level of noise when I dropped him off how crazy they were all night. This boy's mom must have the patience of a saint :) I had told Quinn to call if he needed us, but we didn't hear a peep. I picked him up this morning at 9 AM and he was calm, cool and collected. The boy's mom said they went to sleep about 11 PM and then got up at 5:30 AM! Needless to say, Quinn's in bed already and he was a little testy today from lack of sleep. He also didn't even use the bag of clothes I packed for him, or even the sleeping bag and pillow I sent. Boys are so funny, huh? He was wearing the same clothes I dropped him off in, and he slept in the birthday boy's loft bed (the birthday boy slept in his brother's bed). I think I was more nervous than anyone, not being in control of where he was and what he was doing for over 12 hours! It was strange to be a family of 3, if only for a short time. We took Keely out to dinner to TGIFridays and then walked around REI. Keely declared several times, "It's no fun being the only kid in the house!". Of course, once Quinn was back home they were fighting within hours. I'm sure this is the first of many sleepovers, and I'm glad to have this first one out of the way! Maybe next time I can relax and enjoy the peace & quiet :)

A New Month

We turned the corner into a new month. It's sort of deflating as you look forward all month to Halloween and then boom, it's over and November is upon us. But there are fun things ahead, as the holidays loom on the horizon. We welcomed the new month with Nana and Papa visiting. The leaves finally started falling off the largest tree in our front yard and the kids love playing in the leaf piles (what kids don't?!?!). Here's Keely, as usual being a ham and posing for the camera.
It'd be an issue if she wasn't so darn cute :)
On Saturday, we decided to go for a hike up to Ensign Peak. We've been there before with Aunt Lois and Uncle Ryan, it's a pretty easy hike since you start in a neighborhood so close to the peak. A hike nonetheless and we were off. The weather was balmy for the first day of November, in the upper 60s. Here's Nana and the kids taking a rest on the way up.
We got to the top and the views are just great, the whole city splayed out before us. I love how the roads follow the grid and they seem to stretch forever (must be the engineer in me!). Here's Nana and Papa with Quinn, with a new to the Great Salt Lake behind them.
And here's the view to the south.
We posed in front of the obelisk (now there's a fancy architecture word I haven't used since college).
And then one of the kids took this picture of James and I. It seems we hardly take pictures together anymore so it's nice to have this one and I like the way it came out. We are posed towards the southwest, with the Oquirrh (yes, that's spelled right and it's pronounced O-ker) Mountains in the background.
After the hike back down the mountain, we traveled downtown and James suggested we go to Body Worlds. This was surprising because he was adamant that he had no interest in it, and I've wanted to go since it opened. We had a quick lunch and then got on line for the exhibit. We spent about 90 minutes walking through and seeing all it had to offer. I highly recommend it, for the educational value and its fascinating bodies and body parts. Even the kids liked it, although Keely was a little young. It's a bit expensive (thanks, Dad for paying!) but I still think it's worth it. It's not every day that you get to see real bodies posed in different positions and how that affects muscles, tendons, organs, etc. I've always been fascinated by death as well so it appeals to me. I may even consider donating my body to science :)

That night we had a yummy BBQ dinner at Rib City. Keely chose since it was another birthday dinner for her (thanks again, Dad for dinner) and they even gave her a free piece of cake because I told them that when we ask where she wants to go for dinner, she says "Rib City!".

Sunday we did some shopping at Kohl's (clothes for the kiddos) and Lowe's (new storm door which I can't wait to have up!) and then had some torrential rain and in came the cold weather. Then it was time for the return to the airport and Nana & Papa's departure. It was a nice weekend, and a good way to usher in the new month!

Happy Halloween!

This year, Keely dressed up as Ariel and Quinn chose Indiana Jones. Keely was also Ariel last year but she got a new costume of a slightly different mermaid variation this year. They are allowed to dress up in full costume for school, and they have a parade through the school before a party in their rooms. Keely's parade was first, and here she is walking through the lobby. Nana got to attend the parades since I had to be at work :(
Quinn paraded with the rest of the school in the gym later in the morning. Keely and Nana got to watch and take pictures...
After school, we decided to carve pumpkins. This event typically goes something like this -- kids want to carve pumpkins, kids don't want to get hands dirty, Mom cleans pumpkins, kids draw face on pumpkins, kids leave to play with toys, etc., Mom carves pumpkins, kids come back periodically to check progress, Mom finishes carving pumpkins, kids approve of said carvings. Here I am hard at work, and then Keely posing with the finished products.
Pretty nice job, if I do say so myself :)
After a quick dinner, we were ready for trick or treating. The kids posed for the obligatory pictures...don't they look fabulous? I am particularly proud of Quinn's costume, not because I hand made it or anything but the various pieces we bought all put together just look so much like the outfit Indy wears in the movies. Quinn loves the jacket so much and he plans to wear it this winter.


The kids went around our whole neighborhood and took home quite a lot of candy. It rained on us a bit, but nothing too much to send us home early. The turnout was not great though and we have a LOT of extra giveaway candy, as well as the influx of trick or treat candy. So I will be taking some to work tomorrow...better them eating it than us :)