Dentist

Warner had his first dentist appointment earlier this week.  We drove up to Cincinnati to see Dr. Westendorf, the dentist I have seen since I was Warner's age.  It's a bit of a drive now that we're in Northern Kentucky, but since we only go twice a year and he's such a great Dentist, it's worth the distance for me.
 
I wasn't very worried about how it would go since Warner's such a laid back and compliant kid.  He took the whole thing in stride, and even had his teeth cleaned by himself, since I was having my teeth cleaned at the same time.

The hygienist mentioned that she could try to see Maren as well during our visit, assuming she'd just count her teeth and give Maren an "introduction" to the whole dentist experience.  In true Maren fashion, she happily jumped into the Dentist's chair, opened her mouth as wide as she could, and let the hygienist count, clean, and floss her teeth.

Both kids left with more toys and junk that you could imagine.  It looked like we had done some serious damage at the Dollar Spot at Target.  Of course this pleased the kids to no end and they can't wait to go back to the Dentist again in 6 months.
 
On the way home we visited Krohn's Conservatory for their butterfly exhibit.  I wasn't sure what to expect but had heard good things about the exhibit.  It was a pretty cool experience.  There were hundreds of butterflies in the room from six different continents.
 
They gave us paper that was shaped and colored to look like flowers for the butterflies to land on.  Most of the butterflies weren't fooled by the fake flowers but a few were, and the kids were thrilled to get up-close and personal with the butterflies.


We're looking forward to a fun few days this weekend with a soccer game for Warner tomorrow and the Flying Pig Marathon with my dad on Sunday.  More pictures and posts to come.

Chocolate

My love of chocolate/sweets has most certainly been passed on to my kids. Earlier this week the ice cream truck made a visit to our street and the kids were so thrilled you would have thought it was Christmas. Warner chose a Spiderman Popsicle and Maren chose a fudgesicle. Maren wasn't very excited about the picture however.If you know anything about me, you know nutrition is important to me and I am pretty strict about my family eating vegetables, protein, and other not-so-kid-friendly food. To be sure my family doesn't completely hate me for being a food Nazi, I generally have treats around. However they are sort of modified, more healthy versions these days. The fun part is, the kids don't know the difference. For instance, my "chocolate pudding" consists of 2 avocados, 2 ripe bananas, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and a bit of honey. I think Maren's chocolate mustache here proves she is a fan, even if it is a sneaky, healthy treat.

Spring Break 2012

The kids and I returned early Sunday morning from our annual trip to Florida. My Aunt Kathy was kind enough to make the drive with us since Kevin stayed home to work. We drove through the night both ways, which was surprisingly better than I had imagined. We took turns driving and the kids slept most of the way, so it made the 14 hour trip seem much faster.
My parents win on driving though because they drove all the way from Texas. It took them almost 20 hours to get to Florida. Sheesh! It was fun having their car there - Warner used his new booster seat to ride with Grandpa a few places.
Most of our vacation was spent at the pool and/or beach. Maren was extremely compliant with wearing her floaty and with the security of the swimming aid, she swam for hours with the big kids. She jumped in, went under water, blew bubbles, etc. Warner wore his floaty for about 2 seconds and then decided he was too big for it. And I actually agree. He can touch the bottom of the pool in the shallow end and is cautious enough to not stray to the deep end without assistance. By the end of the week he was jumping in, swimming across the pool, and holding his breath underwater for 10 seconds. It makes me excited for this summer and days spent at our neighborhood pool.We also played in the sand but apparently I forgot to bring my camera to the beach. I have no photographic evidence of the kids in the ocean, finding seashells, building sandcastles, or walking around covered in sand. But it happened.
All of the swimming, sun, and sand took it's toll. I put the kids down for a nap a couple of days but when I didn't they usually fell asleep on their own at some point in the afternoon. Once it was during the five minute drive down the beach from my grandparents' condo to ours. Another time Warner fell asleep on the balcony.
We also enjoyed lots of family time. This is generally the only time we see my cousins Misty and Tommy and their families. Their kids are semi-close in age to mine so Warner and Maren loved having other little people to play with.Spending time with my Grandma and Grandpa Warner is also special at the beach.
Another Florida tradition is the Candy Kitchen. The kids hunted money-filled Easter eggs throughout the week to use for treats at the Candy Kitchen. I'm pretty sure they had a constant sugar high the entire week.Thanks to modern technology we were able to keep in touch with Kevin during our trip and even sent videos of the kids to him. But it isn't the same as having him there in person. He has promised to join us next year, and I will certainly hold him to it! I can't wait to share our Florida trip with him.
Even though only 3/4 of the Platt family was there, we still had a great time at the beach. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a wonderful vacation!

Pneumonia

Breathing problems are an all too familiar visitor to our home. I remember when Maren got RSV at 6 months old while we were visiting my parents in Texas. I had to buy a nebulizer machine for her breathing treatments and it set us back about $80. At the time I was so annoyed, thinking we'd use it for a few weeks and then watch it collect dust. Boy was I wrong. We have gotten more mileage out of that machine that I could ever imagine.

Maren has never been formally diagnosed with asthma, but it's pretty apparent that something is going on with her lungs. Her triggers are still somewhat of a mystery. She has been tested for seasonal allergies but they were all negative. It doesn't seem to be exercise induced either. It just flares up any time she gets a runny nose or anything viral. Which happens a lot, apparently. We were at the pediatrician just 2 1/2 weeks ago for a flare-up, and they bumped her daily inhaled steroid from once to twice a day. Fast forward to yesterday and turns out 2 daily Pulmacort treatments and intermittent Albuterol are not enough to keep her airways working properly.

I found my sweet girl on the couch after a brief trip to the basement to get a load of sheets out of the dryer. I was seriously gone for less than 5 minutes. In that span of time she covered herself with a blanket on the couch and was fast asleep when I found her. I noticed her breathing was very rapid (approximately 45 breaths/minute) and her cheeks were flushed. When she woke up 30 minutes later she had a fever of 102 degrees and was wheezing like crazy. After another Albuterol treatment she had barely improved. So, we packed a few books, drinks, and toys into a bag and made a trip to the ER.

I always have a hard time determining if I'm overreacting or being appropriately concerned when I call the pediatrician or of course head to the ER. Not to mention I'm extremely cheap and the ER visit costs us $125, which I thought about the entire ride there.

When we arrived Maren's oxygen saturation was 89. They don't usually let you leave the ER until it's in the mid-90's. So, I was glad I took her in when they found it was below 90. After a double dose of Albuterol coupled with oxygen, she was feeling much better, but still very wheezy. A chest x-ray showed something in her right lung. The Dr. wasn't 100% sure if it was pneumonia but he was fairly certain it was, so they're treating her for it with antibiotics and an oral steroid. Thankfully we didn't have to spend the night. After another breathing treatment and more observation, we left for home.

The pediatrician wants to see us again today for a follow-up. This morning Maren is her bubbly, happy self, despite the fact that she can't talk quite as much because she has to stop to catch her breath. Her cough sounds awful but apparently it's going to take more than pneumonia to slow this kid down.

Zoo Pennies

We took a trip to the Zoo on Sunday after church. It was a big treat to have Kevin there, since most trips to the Zoo are during the week while he's working. The kids were thrilled to have him with us. We are such creatures of habit that our Zoo trips are pretty predictable. We typically see the same animals in the same order and eat a picnic lunch at the same spot (and the food is probably about the same each time too!).

During this particular visit however, we let the kids get one of those smashed pennies from the crank machines that they have asked for forever. To make one penny it costs 50 cents. It is a gigantic waste of 50 cents in my opinion, but the kids (especially Warner) thought their pennies were the coolest thing ever.

So we took another trip to the Zoo yesterday. Just two days after our last visit on Sunday. And here is how the conversation went on the drive there:

Warner: Mom, did you bring any quarters with you so I can get another penny?
Me: No, Warner, I didn't bring any quarters. But if you want another penny next time we go to the Zoo, you can bring two quarters from your piggy bank for it.
Warner: But I don't want to use MY quarters! I want to you use YOUR quarters!
Me: I'm sure you do. What do you want to buy with your quarters?
Warner: Other things.
Me: Well, the money in your piggy bank is yours to spend, so you can choose what you spend it on.
Warner: (Tears now flowing, face is red) But I want to use YOUR quarters.
(This went on for probably five minutes. If we hadn't been on 75 I probably would have pulled a U-turn and headed home.)
And then Maren chimes in: But Warner, Mommy doesn't have a piggy bank.

Now there's some truth from our two year old. Anyone know where I can get a (full) piggy bank? Apparently I need one.

Circus

We went to the circus last Sunday. A few weeks before the show, we showed the kids circus clips on YouTube so they had a general idea of what to expect. Maren has also developed a strange obsession with the Wonder Pets, and they have an episode where the pets join the circus. So after watching the show a hundred times, she was ready for the real circus.Please excuse the poor quality pictures. Turns out that while the iPhone does a lot of things well, taking pictures in low light isn't one of them.For the first 30 minutes the kids were glued to the action below. They would yell and point and scream with each new act. After that however, it got a little more difficult to keep their attention. Enter popcorn, cotton candy, and lemonade. I'm afraid they enjoyed the food as much as the circus performers (maybe more).My favorite part was the elephants. In fact, I think I want an elephant for a pet. Really. They're just so darn cute. And slow. And fat. Perhaps I love them because I can sort of relate to them as I get older?

After the show we had a late dinner at Red Robin. We didn't get home until after 9pm. We were all a little cranky and tired, but that was a small price to pay for the fun we had.

Basketball

Kevin has attended the High School boys state basketball tournament in Lexington for 20+ years. It's a Platt family tradition that Kevin was happy to share with Warner this year. The boys left Wednesday evening and watched games all day Thursday and Friday. Kevin's dad had the honor of being the chaplain for the Southwestern team (their hometown) during the tournament, so he sat on the bench with the team until their last game Saturday. Kevin reported that Warner thoroughly enjoyed himself, and would pick a team he wanted to win based on their jersey colors. Then he'd root for them, cheering when they had possession of the ball. Of course Warner also enjoyed the one-on-one time with Kevin and his grandparents, along with staying up past his bedtime each night and eating junk food 24/7. Maren and I enjoyed our "girl time" at home Thursday and Friday. I then drove her down to Kevin on Friday afternoon. Kevin was kind enough to keep both kids Friday night and Saturday so I could continue my marathon training. Thanks to my husband, I was able to complete 18 miles on Saturday morning with my running group. They stayed with Kevin's friend, Ryan, at night. Ryan is a kid at heart and is also the kids' godfather. He's the best.Maren went to the games Saturday with Kevin and Warner. I'm not sure she enjoyed the basketball as much as Warner, but she loved spending time with her grandparents, cousins, and aunt and uncle. Warner has now decided he wants to play basketball (along with every other sport of course) and has been watching March Madness with Kevin since returning from Lexington.

I'm thankful for the grandfather/father/son time that was shared, the memories that were made, and the tradition that continues. Hopefully next year I'll be able to join in the fun, too!

Texas

And now for the second installment of catching up ... our trip to Texas. My cousin Melanie kindly agreed to accompany the kids and me on our trip since I don't feel comfortable making the 16 hour trip alone. I'm hopeful she didn't regret her decision to spend so much time us. We left at 5am for both legs of the trip so we could drive the whole way in one day. I foolishly thought I could get the kids out of bed and they would fall back asleep in the car. Wishful thinking, indeed. Maren was belting out Old McDonald Had a Farm at 5:10am as we merged onto 75.I should give the kids more credit. Aside from not sleeping, they did extremely well on the drive. We were prepared with plenty of movies, food, and games to keep them busy. And of course treats chosen at gas station stops helped too.The weather was beautiful during our visit. In fact, the kids wore shorts a couple of days when the temperature climbed to 75 degrees. They enjoyed multiple trips to their favorite Texas park along with plenty of time running around my parents' backyard.My mom and I surprisingly got some shopping in with the kids too, and only had to bribe them once with cookies.We visited the Dallas Zoo one day (which they now refer to as "Bobbie's Zoo", versus "Our Zoo" at home). They have an area where you can feed the giraffes that was amazing. We fed two giraffes romaine lettuce and even got to pet them!

We watched a few movies with lots of popcorn and caramel corn.
Notice Maren's face here. She was mad at Warner for trying to sit in Grandpa's lap with her. She's pretty serious about her one-on-one cuddle time.Our last night there was a few days before my mom's 14th (leap year) birthday. Dad got a cake and we were able to celebrate together before her birthday.
It was a great trip, minus the drive. I wish Texas was closer!

Snow Tubing

I have some catching up to do here. It seems like ages ago now, but we went to Perfect North on President's Day. Kevin's sister and her family along with some of their friends planned a trip and generously offered to include us in their group.
We had a blast. We had never been snow tubing so we weren't sure what to expect. Thankfully there was a magic carpet to the top of the hill and smaller tubes for the kids ... perfect for our family. We were able to hold on to the kids' tubes to ride together, but after a few runs as a group the kids were ready to go it alone. Warner enjoyed going down face-first on his stomach, and Maren happily zipped down in the center of the tube. Maren was the youngest kid I saw there and Warner isn't too much older, so I was proud of our brave kiddos. After our two hour pass was up the kids were exhausted but asking to come back again soon.After tubing we had lunch with our group at Steak and Shake. Thankfully the kids didn't fall asleep while eating, but there was a minute there when I was afraid that was going to happen. What a fun day. I can't wait to go back again next year.