More Park Time

Well, we are going to the park a lot! Yesterday Chris and A went while I took a nap, and today we went as a family. She is learning to slide all on her own, and would rather crawl up the slide than go down it most of the time. She has also discovered teeter-totters, so there is a lot of fun to be had there. Today was apparently "little kid on the big kid toys" day at the park as the younger ones (under 5) were the main group of kids there. She got to climb in a tunnel and go down some higher steeper slides than are in the 2-5 year old section of the park. Naturally she wanted to swing and swing and swing.

For Labor Day we didn't really do anything special. We just stayed around the house. Last Sunday we went to Grandfather Mountain and got to see the animals. The pumas and the bears were out in full force so it was neat to see them. Monday we went to the park and just had a low key day, something we all needed. A and I went for a run in the morning and she waved and smiled at all the people we passed.

Chris is slowly getting a routine down for work this semester. It looks like it will be one full of long days. Since A and I are gone for about 11 hours a day this may work out so that he doesn't have to hike to work each day.

Work for me has been interesting. We may finally be getting me trained to work with the QC people. However, for 3 of the 4 days last week we were down a man in QA so I got to fill in for him. We labeled and packaged all day long, and tomorrow I think we are doing the same thing. On Friday we were going crazy enough to create a Stomp-eqsue rhythm from all the mundane things we were doing -- making sure the carton was full, opening cartons, closing cartons, etc.

This past week A threw up for the first time. Friday morning about four she threw up once and then again around six. She was running a slight temperature, and it definitely seems to be out of her system. Chris stayed home with her, and apparently they had a good time.

Overall we are finally starting to see some signs of fall. The weather has changed and we are getting into the 40s at night and only up into the 60s or 70s during the day. We are seeing some leaves start to change as well. I hope the weather is breaking where you are and it isn't blazing hot or inclimate much longer.

SLIDE!!!

I had to work this morning but this afternoon we got to go to the park. It had been a few weeks for me to come though A and Chris came last Sunday. I didnt run, blade today, I just played with baby girl. Of course one of the first things she did was fall and scrape her head pretty good. She wanted to slide, slide, and slide today. No swinging. Apparently she didn't want to be put to sleep. She got to play on the big kid toys since there weren't many people around. She loves the big twisty covered slide that she and Chris go down. This picture is one of them oming out the end that I played with a little. Overal this week went well. It was a mixture of good and bad, and good to get back to work for me. A really liked being in daycare this week, so that is nice. Chris had a busy week as we are trying to figure out the new schedule.

Home Again, finally

This past week A and I made a trip to OK for a funeral. Overall the trip was good and A did amazing in the air. By Thursday though she wondered where her daddy was. Friday she definitely wanted her daddy. So, Saturday she finally got her daddy and wouldn't let go. Since I'm not on Facebook any more, more fun photos will hopefully end up here.

Sweet Frog

After our family nap on Sunday afternoons we make a quick jaunt to the local frozen yogurt place. They make all sorts of flavors and I can have most things since they leave unnecessary stuff out! I can't have the cake batter or coconut, but al sorts of other things. A really likes the peach. She and Chris get a peach/cheesecake blend and then put stuff on top. It is funny because she knows where to get the cups and everything. She also regularly gets adoring fans as she walks our trash to the can and then terrorizes everyone by walking around and waving.

Here she is helping Chris empty the bowl.

Raisins

We have found a snack that A can eat herself sick on -- Raisins. She won't always chew them, so sometimes they come out whole, but she will eat them endlessly. She has actually gotten to the point where we have to hide the raisin container because she loves the red box. Apparently Chris also has this problem which is why we haven't ever really stocked them in our pantry, but now it will be on our Cost-co list I'm sure.

Another fun thing this week was A shaking her head "yes" in answering questions. She will nod her head definitively if you ask her a question that she wants. It is kind of nice because if you can keep her calm you can get answers out of her. Normally she even knows what it is you ask. For example, if you ask her if she wants to go to bed and she shakes her head yes, when we take her into bed she then curls up on the bed playing with her hair and falls asleep. 

She is doing quite well at day school. The teachers say she is really coming out of her shell. As she goes more and more she interacts with the other kids more. It could be an age thing as she is now 15 months, and it is also the adjustment to having small people around her.

Work is going well for me. I'm starting to be "let go" of more and able to sign off on things. Apparently I do okay. I have also really gotten into the chemistry side of it more and so that is nice. The FDA is supposed to be there any day, so we will see when they show up. We are also pushing more product to market, so hopefully we will truly be a profitable company soon.

Chris is getting ready for this coming semester. School starts this week. While labs don't really start until after Labor Day, he is teaching a lab and a class on teaching chemistry. It will hopefully be a busy semester for him. He does continue to really like his job, so that is good. 

Sitting Down a Minute

This weekend went by really fast as I had to work Saturday. I was up and at work by seven. Overall the day of work went well, but it really is amazing how much extra energy is used by going to work on a day off. All of us have felt the extra day too. A was upset with me on Saturday and

We also have started A on her first round of antibiotics. She has developed a staph rash and it just wasn't going away. We originally weren't going to see the doc because it isn't that big of a deal to us, but since it got worse and not better over the weekend Chris took her this morning. It popped up Friday at school for her, and yesterday it started scabbing over in some places. We really weren't sure what we were dealing with so we took her in. I feel like we didn't really freak out about it, and we haven't taken her in for anything else except her well baby checks, so going 15 months with no doc visits is a good thing, at least that's my opinion. Chris says that all the nurses and the doc loved her and she even managed to give some high fives and waves for everyone at the office.

A is really starting to let her personality show. She is sort of talking, and will say thank you and hi. Some variant of the "da" syllable though is still her favorite. Of course when she says that Chris turns and helps her do whatever she is doing. He is also doing an amazing job of telling her no when she needs that as well. We aren't sure if it is school or her age, but she is starting to stomp her feet if she really wants something and throw little mini-tantrums. I know at school they are much louder and some of the kids do that when I pick A up, so I'm sure she learned it there, we are just having a time not letting her do it at home. She is also becoming very helpful. She likes to turn on the dryer, pull the light strings, put stuff away, etc. And when she does, she claps her hands and says, "Yay!" If you then ask her for a high five, she'll give you one. 

But since I need to go get ready for tomorrow, I suppose I'll go now. A box of crayons is calling my name. :)

Carolyn versus the spiders

So, for those of you who think I'm fearless, apparently you have never seen me with eight legged creatures that creep. Here, I'm afraid to say, the spiders seem to be winning. I regularly find them every where, including the dishes in the dish rack. Yes, there are so many spiders all over that they even create little silky webs between my dishes overnight, or really after just a few hours. I put a bottle of soap on a bathroom counter today and there has already been a spider move in. Regularly, Chris shakes his head as I've just been startled by yet another eight legged nemesis. Right now, based on the spider movement, I'm guessing we are in for an early winter. Hopefully they will all leave us alone soon, but I won't hold my breath.

This past week at work I'm moving past the honeymoon stage and into being a bit useful. There are still a lot of adjustments to be made, but for the most part, I've been accepted and am slowly earning my stripes.

Chris has finished up the second summer term and doesn't start labs again until after Labor Day. He has a break, and is taking tomorrow off to spend the day with A. Hopefully they will have fun and she can lose some of the bad habits she is picking up in daycare. Overall daycare has been great for her, but since she is a smart one, she picks up on the good and the bad. Hopefully we can get her in one of the day schools at the University, but the wait lists are crazy long so it will be January at the earliest. And that is what we were told in June when we signed her up on the lists.

At daycare this week one of the teachers brought in science goggles. Apparently she likes them and immediately brightened up. Here is a picture of her showing off.