The FunMaster

More hugs and loves out to Zen, who is so far away in Dickinson, North Dakota, for the next two weeks. I can't say enough about how much we appreciate him, and how I know what a sacrifice it is to be away from us for such long periods of time. I do my best to hold down the fort, so that when Zen gets home, he feels that his sacrifice is worth it. I know it is. Love you, sweetie!

When Sue was here a week and a half ago, we went swimming over at Dan's hotel pool then, too. It was an overcast day, and when it started thundering, we all scurried out of the pool. Zen was home the last half of that week, and we were sure glad to have him with us. He is The FunMaster, a lot more ready and willing than I am, usually, to get out of the house and go do fun things together.

This year, as in every year, Zen was in charge of buying fireworks for the Fourth of July. We started off our celebrations on Saturday, the 3rd, because the kids were chomping at the bit to blow things up. "Awww, come on, let's at least do sparklers!" So we went out back on our deck, and lit up the night.







The next night, we drove a little out of town down Foothill Blvd, and just parked the van on the side of the road to watch the fireworks being shot off at the fairgrounds.

It was so cold and windy that night. Zen, Dani, and Emma toughed in out in the camp chairs on the sidewalk.

Gil, Sammy and I stayed in the van. Zen had me tune the radio to the station where they were playing the accompanying music to the light show. I only wish the weather was better, but maybe next year. That's Wyoming for you.

Just when I was getting the hang of my telephoto lense and my camera settings, my battery died, so I only got a few shots, but it really was a beautiful light show.

Summer Fun With The Cousins

I'm so glad Sue and I are getting a chance to spend some time together this summer. I'm always wishing we lived closer, because a two-hour car trip is just a bit much to be doing constantly throughout any week, but hey, how cool is it that we both live in Wyoming! Whoever would have guessed?! I thought I'd do my blogging earlier in the day this time, instead of staying up until midnight. Then, I can get my exercising done before all the kids wake up. But I digress. Sue was here briefly yesterday and today with her kids, all visiting Dan, who is doing some training for Halliburton here in Rock Springs, before he ships off to Texas for three months. We all went swimming over at the hotel pool today. What a blast! It was the perfect day, and the only downer was that even though the sun was bright and the air was hot, the water was coooooold from the past few days of overcast weather! Brrrr!

I'm making this my "official" before weight-loss picture. What is that word Sue uses for hot guys and gals? Sookie!!

Speaking of Sookie... you go size-8-girl!!

Despite the bazillion kid-friendly pool floaties I bought, Emma would NOT go further into the pool than the first few steps.

Cutie little Mac, in his lifevest floatie.

Connor had a blast, despite the cold water. And Dani is great with all the little kids, and big kids too, playing games like "shark" with Lily, making her squeal in delight.

Amelia had a lot of cute pics, but this was my favorite. Sue took all these pics today. Can't you tell?! Go professional photographer!

This was supposed to be Sammy's pool floatie, but Emma staked her claim first, even though she wouldn't take it in the water.

Sammy loves his baths, but today was his first time in a swimming pool. He was not impressed by the frigid water. "You guys are crazy, what are you doing to me?!!"

But after a while, with some cuddling from Momma and some gradual dunking, he was willing to put his legs in the water.

If Lily could have done it, I think she would have stacked a tower of floaties together to swim with.

Between brave dips in the pool, the kids huddled up on the lounge chairs in the warm sun.

You'd think Mack was done with a chair he'd gotten his foot stuck in and had to be rescued by his Momma. But Emma and Mack are at that wonderful terrible-two stage where they are really territorial and bossy about anything they think is "their" stuff. So, Mack was complaining that Emma was taking the cranky chair he'd just gotten out of. It was kind of funny.

Mack sure loves his big sisters.

I'm so glad they all got to visit, and I'll still keep having fantasies that Sue and I live in the same town, or at least less than an hour apart.

Big Daddy Zen

Ran out of time to do a bigger post, but here's a nod to Zen, who is able to check my blog when he is out on rotation in North Dakota for a few weeks. This one's for you, sweetie!! Love you!!

3 July - Zen worked his magic on Sammy while he was home last week. Daddies, babies, and couches just go together, like bacon and eggs.

3 Months Old

Connor SAM is three months old today. My how time flies! I tried to get a pic of him smiling, but the most I could catch was a slightly amused expression.

He and I have a good groove. I've figured out his preferences, and I know how to help him when he's fussy. He sleeps through the night, can hold his head up, drinks his bottle like a champ, likes to put weight on his legs if you hold him, and loves to be talked to and played with, but as busy as I am, he spends most of his waking hours in his little reclining chair watching all the chaos in our house (i.e. the other kids). He may take longer to roll and move than the other kids, just because his mother can't get to him as often as she should.

And hey, Sue is back!!! It was good to read a post from her! I'm going to take a page out of her book, and write a summary of the things that have happened, and that I'd like to blog about, if I ever get the time:

• Mother's Day - Zen was out in the field, but the kids made me breakfast in bed early in the morning. I was a crankyhead at the time (it was soon after Sam was born, and I was still getting terrible sleep), but I sucked it up and ate what they brought me.
  
• Father's Day - again, Zen was out in the field, but we mailed him a care package of goodies and funny Father's Day cards. I'll see if I can scan and post them.
  
• Sam's Blessing Day - Zen gave a wonderfully articulate and thought-out blessing. If it wasn't such a sacred thing, I'd post the entire text of it on my blog. Is it okay to put quotes of it in? I'm not sure of the etiquette of that. Somebody clue me in.
  
• Emma turned 2 and Gil turned a magical 16. Holy Monkeys! He'll be driving on his own soon! Just a few details to finish up for his license.
  
• Sue came to visit last week for Gil and Dani's summer play, and to see Dan, who is doing some training here in Rock Springs. We swam in his hotel pool, and we all went to see Toy Story 3.
  
• The cleaning and organizing I have been doing in the past two weeks, trying to make room in Emma and Connor's room for Sam. He's still sleeping in the swing bassinet in our room. I don't mind his company, but his little legs are a little cramped in there.
  
• All the little things about each of the kids: Gil, Dani, Connor, Emma, and Sam.

I hardly have the time to keep up with this blog, because I've been putting so much effort into my health blog, that at the end of the day, I just don't have the time for this one. Plus, I'm really behind on my Medical Transcription, and I need to catch up. There are just not enough hours in the day!

How Big Am I?

I took Sammy and Emma in for their shots today. Emma took it like a champ, and Sammy cried his poor little heart out. Emma turned two this month (we're putting the party on hold for Zen, who is out in the field), and Sam turned two months. Emma weighed 28 pounds, and is 35 inches tall, about 80th percentile. Sammy is 25-1/2" tall, about 95 percentile for his age, and weighs 14 lb. 7 oz. Go Sammy!

Froggy!

I am a little blob of playdough.

But sometimes I smile!

I took Connor and Emma to Arthur Park tonight. Emma, as usual, kept running off to join the circus (because she's a monkey), making me chase her and bring her back to the playground. I got exercise points for that, don't you know.

Smile For Me!

I'm trying to savor every second of Sam's baby stage. After all, he's my last, and there probably won't be a grandbaby for another 8 to 10 years (at least, there better not be!) I love how he smells, such a sweet, baby skin smell. When he gets bigger and runs everywhere and eats real food, he won't smell so nice anymore. So I'm constantly burying my face in his neck and breathing him in.

Sammy smiled in his sleep, almost from the beginning, but that's just kind of a facial twitch when he's really relaxed in his sleep. The real interactive smiling has come more gradually. First it was just opening his mouth, like he was really excited that someone was talking to him:

11 June

And sometimes, he would slip in a half-smile:


But then, last night when I was out shopping, Gil and Dani figured out how to make him smile really big by bouncing him on their knee:



He and I also carry on conversations now. Of course it's just the goofy, silly talk that moms do, and Sammy just coos and gurgles, but it's fun to see him start developing a personality and interact with people. The super-fun stage is just around the corner, when he laughs and giggles. Can't wait!

Orthodontic Woes

Yep, I got my first kid in braces yesterday, and none too soon. He graduates from high school in two years. Yikes! I post-poned it for as long as I could, financially, but now it's time to bite the bullet, because we are running out of time. It will cost us about $200 a month for 18 months, and that's after insurance pitches in. Sigh.

Gil's comment was, "I look like a freak!" and then, "I had no idea what I was getting into!" The price of beauty, sweetheart.

I had Dani evaluated as well, and while I wanted to get her started, we just can't afford it right now. She was massively disappointed. I wish I could do something about it, but it's just not possible. Crud.

I was evaluated, too. Here's the chain of events behind that - I have six baby teeth spots in my mouth, no adult teeth ever grew in. Thank you, bad genetics. Three of them have already been pulled, and there are bridges. Of the three remaining in my mouth, one of them is really disintegrating, and needs to be pulled out. It's kind of stable right now, but that won't be the case forever. That means one of two things - grinding down the surrounding teeth (not the best thing) and putting in a bridge, or getting an implant. Now, an implant is super-permanent. When they put it in, the bone grows around the base of the implant root. But my teeth have drifted since I had braces when I was 12, and they are really out of alignment. Big conclusion - I will have to wear braces to align my teeth ($5500), then get at least four implants (for the decayed one, and for the current bridges which will be removed when they put on the braces), which can be about $2000 a pop. So, I'm looking at anywhere from $12,000 to $15,000 of dental work depending on what options I want to take. My current insurance does not cover adult orthodontics, but may cover some of the implants. The whole process could take anywhere from 2 to 3 years. But I can't do any of that until I've got Dani and Gil through braces. Man, I will be in my early 40's wearing braces! And paying out a million dollars, too. Poop.