Texas Time

We are spending a few days in Texas visiting friends and having fun. Except I have already cried three times. In one day. I LOVE this place. And it's going to be even harder to leave it, again. I miss our house and our friends and all the trees and our ward and James' preschool (that was SO nice to let hime come this week) and my kitchen and my glowing bathroom and our friends and...okay, I'll stop. Oh, and I miss Taylor. Because it's just weird to be in Texas without him. Probably will resume posting when I return to Colorado and it's lovely...weather? Yeah, I really like the weather. For about two more weeks. Word.

First Solo Catch

James was brave enough to catch a wasp. He was very proud of himself!

Matthias Chatter

First you must know that Matthias is obsessed with his uncle Cameron. So, last Friday we went out to dinner and suddenly Matthias shouts, "Cameron. Gone!" We were a little confused, but hey I guess he was gone. Then later when he finished eating he picked up his plate and said, "Cameron, done." Aha. He thought our waiter looked like Cameron. So after that it was pretty funny because he started calling him Uncle and kept saying Cameron. What a funny boy.

Denver Zoo

We visited the Denver zoo yesterday and it was really neat. All the animal enclosure were very viewer friendly and since it wasn't 1000 degrees out the animals were actually moving around and were interesting to look at.



Matthias was right up against the glass at the baboon habitat and the little one came up and jumped at the glass. It startled Matthias, but then he started tapping on the glass and the monkey started doing a little "you looking at me" head shake and whacking the glass. It was pretty funny. I just got the tail end of the confrontation...


There was also a lorikeet feeding area which the boys thought was a blast. And it was only $1 to buy nectar. Of course we just found a discarded one on the ground, but still cheap if you want to spend a dollar. =]




I love taking my boys to the zoo and this was a really fun one.

Preschool Party

So, I started a new blog (yes, I'm a blog nut) to record what James and I do for preschool. I am always searching the internet for good ideas for our little lessons and good books to read about different subjects. So I figured I would just post our findings on a blog for all the different topics we do. Maybe you will find some good ideas...or better yet you will leave some for me in the comments! James named the blog Preschool Party. We usually do about two lessons a week, so I will just be updating a couple times a week after we do a new lesson. Feel free to share with anyone who is looking for fun ways to teach and interact with their little ones. Enjoy!

Finally

Our Home...

Kitchen (this floor is impossible to keep clean! I mop twice a week and in Texas it was more like twice a year...)


Breakfast area in kitchen


Living room


Dining room (same room as living room really, just separated by a half rail)


Family room


Toy room (the whole basement is the toy room, it's huge down there. Plus it has a storage room and a bathroom)


Boys' room


Our room (notice the lovely curtains...)


I didn't take picture of any of the bathrooms, if you want to see those you'll have to visit in person. Tempting, I know.

Missing my OB

Last I was aware brains were developed at birth, not handed out with a medical degree.

I had the lovely experience today of being laughed at (literally laughed at...by a nurse) because I had the gall to ask a question about a procedure she deemed necessary for me. I was questioning the need for a blood test and she began to condescendingly laugh at me because I was using my brain and wondering about something that was to be done to my body. Instead of blindly agreeing.

I have no problem with having my blood taken. I have a problem with a nurse not thinking I should take an active roll in my own health care. The same nurse who treated my yesterday like I was some inferior who had no idea about her own body and it's needs. I'll take your blood test, but please be courteous enough to discuss it with me before hand.

So today I said, "I think it is quite rude for you to laugh at me. I will be finding a new doctor. Thank you." One with a nurse who doesn't mock me for wondering the whys and hows. For asking questions about what intimately concerns me. Who realizes that just because I don't have any formal medical training I still have some idea about my body, even my pregnant body. I have actually done this before.

To all my friends studying medicine...please remember that us lay folk out here are thinking people too. And we are concerned about our own bodies and health. Thanks for taking care of us kindly.

James Speak & Matthias Chatter

James: Why can't you just let me do what I want?

Matthias had popsicle all over his face, so I ask him to come over and get it wiped off...
James: I'll lick it off. (which he then began to do)

While looking at a Lands End catalog that came in the mail. All the kids were wearing coats.
James: What is that? (referring to the coat. My kids are going to freeze!)

I was picking up the name pillows my mom makes for everyone...
Me: This pillow says James, see? And this pillow says
Matthias: MINE!

Me: Is Matthias your favorite brother?
James: No.
Me: He's your only brother.
James: I think the one in your tummy.

Settling In

The first week we were in Colorado James was just plain hard to get along with. He was grumpy, mean, rude, whiney, etc. He seemed to ignore everything we said and act completely against his once better judgement. He was driving us crazy! However, as exasperated as I sometimes got with him I didn't blame him at all. Frankly I felt like kicking and whining and if I wasn't the mom I probably would have unrolled the toilet paper rolls several times and thrown toys at my little brother too (sorry Scott!). But we are seeing a return of our happy, excited James.

Matthias, having previously given us a week of grief moving to a bed in Texas, decided to start again in our new home. He was popping up like popcorn every night. NOTHING could keep him in bed...threats of closing the door, taking his binkie, not even the Frost's good old wooden spoon trick. He was right back out. And the worst part (besides that he has been able to open doors for at least four months now) is the doors in our new home have handles instead of knobs! So we couldn't even put on a child lock. Until last night when we finally got fed up and installed a knob on the boys' bedroom. Matthias is now going to bed again.

Taylor office closes today at 3:30 for the Rockies game and we get to go! And I haven't cried since Thursday. Despite several attempts of my tear ducts on Sunday. All were thwarted. I will make new friends. Ha.

Cooking

I really love cooking and baking and making yummy foods! Since we don't have any friends and few obligations the boys and I spent lots of time cooking last week. Thursday was our big hurrah making homemade rolls and chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles. We spent over 2 hours in the kitchen preparing our feast and it was tasty. The boys did exceptionally well kneading the dough, chopping vegetables, rolling out dough, and shaping rolls. More yummy foods on the line up this week!

Ike

I feel really left out since a large portion of my blogging friends put up post pre-Ike last week and I didn't. But now I can post post-Ike and they can't, so I will. We have received some phone calls and questions as to how things faired in our area, so I'll let you know what I know. Sorry for y'all there if I get it wrong. =]

Seems that our area mostly experienced felled trees, but minimal damage to homes and little flooding. Our home had no damage at all and no downed trees. There was some flooding in a few streets near our home, but nothing major. The biggest issue has been the power outage that is still continuing. The estimate is 2-4 weeks before power is restored to Montgomery county. Several nearby areas (Katy, Sugarland, even rumors as close as 1960) all have power back, but because of some equipment damage Montgomery county may not have power for quite some time.

I talked with Kim today and they still have water and gas (unfortunately Kim has an electric stove, but we still could have cooked on our gas stove). A lot of people are leaving the area for a few days/weeks until things get more sorted out. However, it seems like our area was blessed without too much lasting damage.

Please feel free to comment and correct my hearsay if any of you Mongomery-ites get access to internet.

1930s

93 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Home

I will post pictures of our new home next week after Ike. Wishing everyone well in Houston!

Christmas is in the air

Ah, finally I have internet and can pursue the wonderful task of finishing all Christmas shopping by the end of September. Taylor thought of the best gift ever which will actually have to wait until November for purchase, but the rest of the boys Christmas (and birthdays) should be purchased in the next few weeks. And that makes me happy.

James Speak

Me: (singing) The more we get together the happier we'll be. For your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends...
James: I don't have friends.
(I walk into the kitchen and start crying)
James: (from the other room) Are you crying or not crying?
Me: I'm crying.
James: (comes into the kitchen) Don't cry you goose. It's okay. I have friends.


James' prayer: Bless Matt that his toes will be okay. Bless Dad that he won't be scared when he drives. Bless Mom that she will get better and have her baby.

James: I went to the dentist today and I can't have any more fruit snacks.

Me: (after calling Kim and hearing, “Hi, you've reached the Dibb family...” and starting to cry.)
James: It's okay. Let's go lay down.

(Yes, if you didn't know it before I actually cry a lot. And the last couple weeks has brought out the tears more than usual. It's a stress reducer really. Then I move on. Literally. Ha.)

So we don't have internet yet...

and that is why Kristi still has not posted lately. But to make sure all of you still remember we are here (or where ever we are), I thought I would post. I read this very funny Dave Barry article and thought that I would put the link up here.

Driven to distraction

Don't worry. They are coming to hook up our internet on Thursday.