Spring Snow

We had a rather late season snow storm hit Roanoke this weekend.  It started around 10 on Sunday morning and continued with conditions worsening through the day.

Katie and I stayed home most of the day because we didn't really want to tackle the roads, etc.  Matt left the house to study around 10:30 and came back in the late afternoon (around 4:30).  Unfortuately the roads were so bad by 4:30 that he couldn't get up the hill into the neighborhood.  He had to park his car at K-mart and walk home. 

  

Katie was able to play in the snow a couple of times yesterday afternoon.  I was getting her 3T snowsuit out when she handed me her old 2T suit saying "I want to wear this one mommy."  The 2T suit is about 4 inches too short -- which apparently doesn't matter to Miss Katie.  She looks so ridiculous!  But I figured, why battle over it.  So here she is, in her riduculously too small snowsuite.   

Side Note: The fact that I still have a 2T snowsuit in her closet shows how behind I am on putting her clothes away into rubbermaid bins.  My own lazyness comes back to bite me - ha!

They're Alive!!

I wrote this blog post last week and just never got around to posting it.  So, here it is....a week late.  :-)

This past week was as crazy as expected.  My business trip went well and I am grateful to be home.  Matt was 100% in charge while I was gone (no help from Nana...or anyone else).  He told me before I left that his goal was to "keep both he and Katie alive."  He is a low expectations kind of guy.

I have to give Matt some serious credit for a job well done being a single daddy.  He made dinner (homemade baked ziti) by himself, researched art projects, and fit in snowman play time.  The picture below shows the rainbow project the two of them completed while I was traveling.  Katie was so proud to show it to me when I got home.  He also managed the whole morning routine of breakfast, getting dressed, packing lunch, and off to preschool.  Two thumbs up Daddy!!!

I missed Matt and Katie so much while I was gone.  Katie's nighttime prayer said it all the other night when I returned.  She said, "Dear God, please bless mommy.  Please keep her safe, healthy, and happy.  Also, please let her stay here with me all day tomorrow.....so we can play together.  Oh yeah, and Daddy too!  Amen." 

Being a full-time working mommy, my guilt really kicks in when I hear prayers like that one.  Especially after the long week of travel I had.  But, we are making this crazy situation work the best we can.  I keep trying to convince myself that Katie is all the better for having an involved mommy, daddy, and nana.  Each of us try to give her our focus during the time we have with her.  I just hope its true.

Birthday Boy

We had a plan for Matt's birthday.  A great plan.  It is his spring break this week.  We were going to meet his family in Richmond yesterday for a family birthday party.  Then leave today for Baltimore.  The plan was to take Katie on her 1st real train ride, and then to the Baltimore Aquariam.  A good plan.  A good birthday.

And then....my work schedule got in the way.  I had to cancel our vacation.  I'll be traveling to 4 cities in 4 days (Roanoke, Nashville, Philly, Richmond, Roanoke).  Add in a winter storm brewing and I give it a 60% chance I'll get STUCK somewhere.  Meanwhile, Katie and Matt will be in Roanoke by themselves (not on our fun trip to Baltimore).  But, I'm not bitter.  I promise. 

Okay.  Moving on from that.  We made a new plan.  A family weekend in Roanoke, with special birthday fun for daddy.  Katie and I started the "project" of baking daddy's cake on Saturday.  We also made homemade icing...a first for both of us.  Who doesn't have memories of licking the mixer sticks when they were a kid?

On Sunday, we had a few family fun activities planned for the afternoon.  Then, Matt wanted to go out to Kabuki for dinner.  Katie was a little freaked out by the fact that her food was on fire at one point in the meal.  But, she thought it was pretty cool that the chef let Daddy catch shrimp in his mouth.  Also, I couldn't believe it -- but she ate her dinner with chopsticks.  After dinner, we came home for cake and presents. 



Despite the major change in plans, this weekend was wonderful.  It is SO rare that we have a full weekend of family time and I enjoyed every single minute of the last 2 days.  I just hope Matt enjoyed the weekend as much as I did.  We will have to make time in the coming weeks for a full family get together.

The Queen

One of my favorite things about having a 3 year old is the hilarious conversations.  I truly NEVER know what Katie will say next.  A couple fun stories from the last couple weeks are below.

First One
Papa calls Katie "Queen Kathleen" or just "The Queen" for short. 

Katie:   "Mommy, Papa says I'm a Queen." 
Me:      "Yes, you are his Queen Kathleen." 
Katie:   "Since I'm a Queen, I think I need my own castle."
Me:      "What kind of castle?"
Katie:   "I think that should be our next project.  We need to build me a castle."
Me:      "Okay, we will make that our next project."

I guess I'll need a really big cardboard box in order to make our Queen a Castle.  Papa, since you gave her the nickname, I'm putting that on your assignment list. 

Second One:
Katie is sometimes resistant to washing her hands after she uses the potty.  She also forgets to say "please" when asking for things.

Katie (right after using the potty):     "Mommy, can I have some more teddy grahams?"
Daddy:     "Katie, you can't have any food until you wash your hands."
Katie:       "Now Daddy, you didn't say please.  So, I'm not going to wash my hands until you can ask me
                 nicely with a PLEASE."
Daddy:     "Katie, Will you please go wash your hands?"
Katie:       "Well of course I will, now that you said please."

She's a sassy little thing some days.  Wonder where she gets that from?!?!  :-)

Our Old House

This is a rather random blog post.  It covers a subject that I want to document, but many of you may find it completely boring and insignificant.  So, feel free to stop reading at any point....

Our old house is a topic of conversation at least once, sometimes multiple times a week with Katie.  She has very clear memories of our old home and always asks us to move back.  We have told her that we don't live in Richmond any longer (which isn't 100% true since we have an apartment there for my work purposes).  We also told her that a new family moved into the house -- a mommy, daddy, and two little girls.  Her response -- "Well, why doesn't the other family take our house in Roanoke and then we could have our house back."  I explained that the other family didn't want to leave because they really liked the house.  Her repsonse -- "Mommy, why don't you just go to the house and talk to the other family.  I think if you ask them nicely, and say PLEASE can we move back in, then they will let us."  Next I tried to explain that it took a large amount of money to buy the house back.  Her response -- "You have money mommy.  I've seen it in your wallet."  Clearly my explanations are not working.

I can't decide if Katie just doesn't like change, doesn't like the new house, or just REALLY loved our old home and our old neighborhood.  I realize she misses her friend Noah who lived across the street (they are only 7 weeks apart in age and played together ALL the time).  This past week she asked me if there were other boys and girls in our new neighborhood and if once it got warm if she could go to their house and play in their yard -- like she used to do with Noah. 

I cannot believe Katie was so attached to our old home when she wasn't quite 3 yet when we left it.  What will it be like when we leave this home?  Worse, or better?  Matt and I have moved quite a bit.  I lived in Denver, then Roanoke, then Philly, then Richmond, now Roanoke again.  I'm hopeful that our next move -- once Matt is finished with school -- will be our last move, because our whole family is sick the transition.  Most of all, I want to give Katie some stability. 

Valentine's Day - 2013

For Valentine's Day this year, Katie got a virus.  It started Wednesday, and by Thursday afternoon she had laid down on the floor of the living room and fallen asleep.  Katie hasn't slept during the day in about 8 months, so we knew she needed to see the doctor.

Nana and Matt took the her to the pediatrician's office Thursday afternoon -- I was still in Richmond.  We all assumed it was strep because she had a high fever, and wasn't eating (she never complains about her throat when she has strep, she just doesn't eat).  The doc's office tested for strep and flu....both negative.  So, the assumption is a virus.

I've been rather nervous the last couple of nights because her fever has climbed extremely high (like 104.6).  This virus, and her symptoms are so similar to when she was hospitalized around 21 months.  We are going on 4 days of fever and I'm just praying she gets better soon.

In the meantime, there have been a large number of Princess and Tinkerbell movies watched.  Not to mention gallons of Gatorade and dozens of popsicles consumed.   She did perk up long enough today to do a small project at home.  Aunt Sally gives Katie Ranger Rick magazines and we did a Rhino Activity from it today.  I love that I can call out letters (R-H-I-N-O) and Katie knows how to write them all!!!  Not the best penmanship, but she's learning.  Preschool here has been so good for her.  I'm just sad she missed her Valentine's Party with her friends.

To look at this video, you wouldn't think she was sick at all.  Unfortunately, this was the most active she has been in 3 days. 

Katie's 1st Circus

One of the presents in Katie's Christmas stocking this year was tickets to the Circus.  Santa (aka - Papa) is a smart guy....and must have know our little Katie Bug would enjoy the Circus tremendously.

To prepare Katie for what to expect at the circus we looked up pictures and videos the day before.  Papa is a member of the Shrine -- so he came with us on the trip.  Katie was amused by Papa's hat and insisted on making her own "crown" to match his before we left.  Getting these two to cooperate for a picture is impossible....one or both are always laughing. 

The Circus was fantastic! Katie's two favorite acts were the Human Cannonball and the acrobats -- but she enjoyed it all (except maybe the motorcycles). She even got to ride a pony during intermission.

At dinner the night before the Circus Katie was begging for cookies as her 'treat.'  I told her she could have as much junk as she wanted when we went to the Circus.  Let's just say she held me to that.  She told us on the way to the Civic Center that she was going to get some Cotton Candy on a stick....it had to be on a stick.  After the cotton candy, she had a funnel cake, then almost an entire bag of popcorn, a snow cone, and a hot dog to top it off.  I'm amazed she didn't throw up! 

Once the circus was over -- after 3 hours of action and junk food -- we were all EXHAUSTED!  We came back to the house, skipped dinner, watched a quick show, then headed to bed.  One happy girl!  Thanks again Papa for the tickets....I'm hoping we can make it a tradition.