Cody is 5!

Hooray! Cody is five today. We tried to make the day extra special with a trip to the snow with Uncle Trevor, Aunt Holly, Grandpa, and Grandma, but even with all the extras, a birthday this close to Christmas is really just anticlimatic. By this time everyone is partied and presented out!

Cody asked a lot of questions today about birthdays. He obviously had expectations in his mind that were not met. This morning he asked me who was coming over for a party and started to name off some suggestions of kids he wanted to invite. I quickly changed the topic with talk of our snow plans, but just about died inside. I tried to start the "party conversation" a month ago and suggested to Cody that he have a birthday party, but when he said he didn't want to invite anyone but family and our one close family of friends, I figured a "friend party" wasn't needed yet. A "friend party" is the top of my list for next year and maybe before Christmas when it can still be exciting to get birthday presents that aren't being compared to Christmas gifts.

He had an issue with getting a sling shot as a birthday present after recieving a different one for Christmas. His attitude was rather embarrassing, but he's only four, I mean five. When I tucked Cody in bed, he seemed to be adjusting his expectations and going to bed with a thankful attitude. He said, "Mom, you know when people give you things, you should really just say thank you, because they are wanting to be nice to you." He is such a thinker. He must have been mulling over his attitude and everyone's reactions for most of the afternoon.

It was a great day. I have forgotten how much I love sledding! It's been a long time since I have had that much fun.

Christmas tree hunting 2008

Do the comparison. Peek at the entry below and check out the growth. It is amazing. We really had fun tree hunting this year. For anyone that is local, there is a great little tree farm called Twin Pines in Georgtown. You go for your own hike up their driveway and around the five or so acres, pick out your tree, cut it down, and then pay one price - no rip off measuring, or extra charging for the wrapping. They even had hot drinks and candy canes for everyone. Aimee was quite impressed with hot chocolate. Cody, however, took a few sips and then told me, "This isn't like Starbucks. I'm done." We have created a Starbuck's hot cocoa snob.

This was last year's Christmas tree hunt

Wow! I am in shock. This was taken just one year ago. Aimee is hardly recognizable, and Cody looks so young.

Cody can't wait!!!!!!!!

Tonight when I was tucking Cody in bed, he was so excited that he jumped up and said, "I know what tomorrow is . . . Halloween!" It's going to be a long day for him. Nightime will feel like a lifetime away in the morning.

Little Pumpkin

Aimee absolutely loves being included. We sat outside, gutted, and carved pumpkins after dinner tonight. Aimee was in the middle of everything voicing her opinion with "yessssssss" and "NO!"

Aimee Ann

Aimee is 19 months old. I tried to be a good mom and took her to the portrait studio inside Walmart to have her picture done. I'm way behind if I am trying to keep up with what I did with child number one. Anyway, after getting Aimee and Cody clean, fed, and happy we ventured over to the studio. Another kid beat us to the front of the line, so I asked to be next and went off to do my shopping. After wasting a half hour in the store, we returned only to find the same people just hanging out. I wasn't happy. Cody was busy devouring a box of orange tictacs that I had bought to keep him contained so that I could focus on Aimee. Because we weren't going to be helped right away, I had to cave in and let Aimee have some tictacs, too. Not long after that, Aimee had orange drool down her chin and Cody was asking for an ice-cream which they conveniently set up on display at the entrance to the studio. I gave up and came home to take pictures in the yard. I am so glad. This one is my favorite.

Sweet Little Aimee

My favorite new Aimee trick is the way she she says, "Momee," ephasizing the last syllable. It brings me up when I walk in the door and she's running toward me with those chubby little legs yelling my name!

Aimee loved the fair too!

Hooray for the state fair

Cody rode a real fair ride. While we were waiting for the ride to start, he told me I was his best friend. He was so cute! It makes me want to do Disneyland! Aimee just needs to be a little taller. Then we all can enjoy the thrills.

Happy Birthday to Mommy!

Well, here is the token "Birthday Picture." Wow! I am 32. What's funny to me is that I remember my parents being in their thirties. The majority of childhood memories have my parents at my age. It's just a wierd thought to me. I think I still put my parents in this age category. You know - "my parent's age."

I guess Cody and Aimee will have my generation tagged with the same line. When they are teenagers, they will say, "Those people are old, like my parent's age." As adults with their own families they will probably say, "Those people aren't that old. They are probably about my parent's age." And I'm not sure what people say in the next part of life. Maybe I will ask my mom.

Hmm... anyway, age is a funny thought.

One more funny thing - Cody is starting to grasp the idea of age and growing up. Every picture we look at in books or magazines he's been asking me how old the kids are. He wants to know what he is going to do at each age. Walking into church on Sunday, Cody saw a couple of kids who were about ten, and was very impressed with them. He told me they were probably 18.

Units! Units! Units!

For those of you out there who think teachers don't work in the summer, you are so WRONG! I am even commuting - that is major for me. There are perks to working in Pollock.

I have a day and a half left in the six unit class that I am taking this summer. It's actually been a positive experience. I'm not saying I am going to be sad to see it end, but I am walking away with some usable ideas.

Hmmm... I need to wait until that's over before I blog something creative a fun, but I feel the need to write myself an excuse for not keeping this thing up to date.

That's all for now.

I love my church!

4th of July was great! The church hosted a community BBQ complete with bounce houses and homemade ice-cream. It really was fun! We spent the evening with friends who are interested in coming to church and aren't sure what to make of Christians.

I was so proud of my church. It wasn't embarrassing or wierd. We just had fun! There was a bounce house and bounce structured water slide for the kids. There was a bounce structured jousting pit for the teenagers and livelier adults - great entertainment to watch. Every kid had their face painted. I felt bad for the two ladies who signed up for that job. They were a hit and had cold dinners with napkins over them sitting to the side while I enjoyed dessert.

The weather was perfect, and my kids made it all the way until fireworks at 10pm without behavior problems. We could see the fireworks from the church property, so we lined up lawn chairs in a dirt field and ooo'd and ahhhh'd at the show. Aimee was asleep in her carseat by the time we left the church parking lot. She even slept through us scrubbing the facepaint off her little cheek. Cody talked all about the fireworks and bounce house today. Best of all, our friends are coming to church tomorrow.

Howdy!

I had high hopes of putting together a really cool slide show of all the Texas pictures, but it seems the simple step by step instructions are a little bit complicated for me. I don't have the patience for computer work. It either works easily the first time or I move on with a new plan. Today's new plan is to post a couple pictures and save the slide shows for a night when CSI is a rerun and the kids go to bed early.

Here are a couple pictures from the Iles side of the trip. I couldn't resist showing the big Pawpaw and Cody water war.

Love to you all! Becky

Hooray for Texas!

Wow! What a trip! We had a great time in Texas, and we were able to introduce Aimee to Granny, Oma, and Opa. They gave her the vote of approval, and she can now be in the club.

Croup is the pits!

WOW! What a day!

I think I should change the name of the blog to the "Worries and Woes" of the Foxworthys rather than "Fun with the Foxworthys."

Aimee provided today's entertainment. After scaring me with what appeared to be trouble breathing, Aimee got to meet our local firemen and ride to the hospital in an ambulance.

The verdict is that she has croup - a nasty virus that causes her to bark like a dog when she coughs and makes her every breath wheeze. It was quite a morning. Luckily, Daddy was close by, and Grandma was able to drive to the hospital to rescue Cody from the three very boring hours of sitting quietly in the ER.

Sweet little Aimee is worn out and trying to sleep. Something tells me that I may not sleep too well tonight, but that's okay.

The most encouraging part of today - I feel very good about my health insurance and especially our pediatrician.

It was the Kaiser advice nurse that demanded that I call 911, even though we would be treated at a non-Kaiser facility. Once we were released from the ER, the person at the desk to settle paperwork, said she had called Kaiser and waved goodbye. At home I e-mailed Aimee's normal doctor to get a follow up appointment, only to find out that the doctor was on vacation. But who called our house tonight at 8pm? Dr. Choudri! She is so kind to my kids and genuinely cares. She gave me some helpful instructions over the phone, and said little Aimee should be feeling herself by Wed. I am very thankful!

Hi

Yeah! It's working! I was able to post the slide show.

I am supposed to be cleaning the office. It was going pretty well, and I was rather proud of my productivity. Then I sat down in the computer chair and remembered that I wanted to play with the slide show feature - So much for a clean office!

Asthma is the pits!

My sweet boy has a nasty hacking/barking cough that woke him up this morning in tears. He came to crawl in bed and cuddle and hacked out, "I need a breathing treatment." -this coming from a boy that hates to sit still and have a noisy machine puffing smoke in his eyes - as he describes it.

What is it? I don't understand asthma. I read about it and give all the medicines that I'm supposed to, but we still have these bouts. I guess I really shouldn't complain - he does get relief and is able to be himself. I just worry and wish there was a magic mom pill that could get rid of it completely - along with the pill for diaper rash, teething, broken legs, allergies, and constipation that I would have invented in my first three years along my journey in motherhood.

With Aimee, we hardly ever go to the doctor. We get all of our possible parenting senerios worked out with kid number one, and number two, we just use the checklist of possibilities and decide to wait another day.

Trying to start

This whole idea of an on-line diary isn't new, but it's a challenge for me. And amidst the frustration of trying to be clever and understand technology, my daughter is eating out of the trash can. She just toddled through with the crust from Cody's peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I think it was on top of the trash, and I know that I didn't throw away any diapers yet in the kitchen can so I am just going to let her pass and pretend that I didn't see.