Fine Arts Center

Our family loves dorky things. Reading. News. Libraries. Museums. King Tut. History. Star Wars. Classical Music. Etc. Etc.

We've taken both girls to museums since they were a babies. We both love history, so how else will we train them to love it as well? Elisabeth gets super excited when we go on vacations or visit new cities because she can't wait to see what museums we go to. And zoos. We love zoos.

I recently planned an activity for the mom's group I'm involved in, and I wanted to go somewhere different, fun and free. (Can't beat a free field trip). I also wanted to try somewhere that was educational too. I need to spread my dorkiness to others, you see. Since Colorado Springs is gigantic, I started browsing the online newspaper for upcoming events.

I stumbled upon Co. Springs' Fine Arts Center and found out that they had free admission every third Tuesday of the month. I called to make sure they wouldn't mind a few toddlers roaming their hallways and was assured it was a family (and stroller) friendly place.

About 6 moms and their rugrats showed up, and I have to tell you, I was so impressed. It's not an overly big building, so we were able to see much more than I thought we would in the time allotted by our children's attentions. They had a fabulous display dedicated to NASA, with artwork not only of space and astronauts, but some of it actually done by those in the space field.

Julia was fantastic the entire time. I brought the stroller in case I needed to strap her in (you know, if she decided to touch all the art and break anything), but she didn't even get in! She raced up and down the long corridors, really liked some of the video art of space, and chased the other little kiddos around.

The other moms liked it too. They were all impressed, not only with how nice the workers were with our little ones squealing and running around, but also how well the kids responded. I heart sharing culture things with people who think their kids can't handle it. They usually end up surprised at how well their kids do.


Julia loved this dog.


Julia climbs stairs by herself now. I carry hand sanitizer always now.



This was one of my favorite exhibits.

I also enjoyed these clay figurines.


This was one of Julia's favorite paintings. She really wanted a snack after seeing it.




Chillaxin' with her little friend.


The other moms asked to go again, so I've scheduled another one in April. Hopefully I'll be able to take Elisabeth sometime soon, because she was very jealous that we got to go while she was in school.

It's Cell Phone Picture Time!

Please remember, I am with Julia all day. She is more than happy to smile at the camera (phone) for me. That is why this is more of a Julia post than an Elisabeth post.

Also, some of these might be from before Christmas. :)

Thank you.


Julia and her babies.

Julia playing the happy housewife.

Always on the phone.

Love it.

A master of downstairs walking.

My special Star Wars fan.

Wasup?

Her play area of choice.

So big!

Preparing her for life.

This is my eldest. She is sporting some new pajamas I bought her in January that are almost identical to her Aunt Kyle's pajamas. She hearts her Aunt Kyle.

Elisabeth is a fabulous little lady. Big heart. Fun and energetic. Good friend and super smart. Funny and creative.

Here's the thing though: the girl is a slob. And super forgetful. And, dare I say, ditzy.

Now, before you start getting all huffy and puffy that I'm saying these things about my own beautiful daughter, let me say one thing...

It's all true. Ask Evan.

Oh, and she may get some of that from me.

If you were to walk into my house right now, there would be toys strewn about the floor. There are dishes piled in the sink waiting for the dishwasher to finish washing it's current load so they can have their turn being washed. There are papers piled in various corners because I just love a good pile of things. So, I know that I am not a neat freak. I know that I let things slide because I hate constantly picking up and it makes me hate my house and my current position as the maker of the home if I am expected to keep my home spotless with two children, two cats, a spider and a kitchen that I am always cooking in for goodness sake! But, it's not unsafe. You can walk around. And it's easily picked up in 10 minutes.

But, Elisabeth? Dude, her room is a DISASTER AREA! Yesterday, while trying to put her laundry away, I almost crashed headlong into her dresser because I had tripped on the giant mound of blankets she's pushed off her bed when she woke up and never bothered to pick up. Then, when I went to put clothes in her closet, her hangers were all over the floor from when she puts clothes on and doesn't hang up the empty hanger. Not to mention that I can not even think about letting Julia wander around in there because god knows what kinds of little toys and pieces of things are all over the carpet.

So, I counted to 1,000, said a prayer for my sanity, and came up with a game plan. I informed Elisabeth that I was going to come up with a set list of chores that she will be responsible for on a daily basis. They weren't going to be things new or hard, but things that we are CONSTANTLY asking her to do day in and day out that she in incapable of remembering to do on her own.

And I didn't even yell. Not even when she started whining and complaining. But, that might be because I walked back into her room and recounted to 1,000 to not yell.

Anyway, here's her list:

It is posted on our refrigerator. She is expected to look at it daily and make sure that she's done everything on it. Thankfully she can read now, so she can do it on her own. Evan and I will remind her as needed, but hopefully it'll become a routine for her to check her checklist. (oh, and we bathe every other night since the girls have terribly dry skin like me and bathing every night leads to eczema break outs...we don't let them go night upon night without bathing...just so you know...)

I did this instead of a chore chart because 1.We don't have a working printer for me to make endless copies every week. and 2.I think she's too big for a sticker reward system. The things I have posted are her responsibilities as a member of our family. And, quite frankly, I'm not asking much. But, for Elisabeth, these are things that are hard for her to remember. I feel like that with Elisabeth's personality, she's going to be someone who needs to make lists and reminders for herself when she's older. She just doesn't seem to have built in organizational skills or a fabulous memory for the everyday routine. So, by starting this list, I'm hoping to start a great habit for her that she'll need as she ages. I mean, I can't follow her around in junior high and high school and college and career making sure she has all her books, has completed her projects, has remembered to make those important phone calls. She's going to have to have some coping skills at her disposal to keep herself organized.

This morning was the first day of our expecting her to check the list. She announced from her bedroom that she'd already made her bed. She came down, looked at the list, and then hustled back upstairs to turn off her light and radio. She was beaming as she ate her breakfast when I complimented her on already being done with most of her morning list.

She's a good girl.

Story Time.

I don't know if you know this about me, but I really like to read.

And because I like reading so much, I enjoy frequenting the library. I always have. Dude, they have a lot of books.

I especially like the library district here in Colorado Springs. They have libraries all over this gigantic city and I believe the girls and I have been to almost all of them at some point or another. They have a fantastic staff and so many different activities that they offer for everyone in the family.

For example, right now I am participating in the 2010 Adult Reading Program, where you have from January 1st--March 1st to read 8 books and receive prizes for doing so. Um, yeah...I'm totally on my last book. And I started the last week of January.

They also have a FANTASTIC website where I can just type in the book I want, put it on hold, and then they email me when it's ready to be picked up. Love it!

Lately, the moms' group I am in has been going to one of the branches for toddler storytime. There's a fabulous woman who leads the story time with songs and finger rhymes and stories. There is dancing and clapping and scarves. It's only 20 minutes and it is set up so there's no down time. The woman is seriously wonderful with all of the kids and does a few staple songs every week so the kids are familiar with them.

Two weeks ago, I took Julia to the story time for our first time. I'd heard how much the other moms had liked this particular branches story time lady, so I thought we'd give it a shot. You see, Julia is not much of a "song and dance" kind of girl. Not like Elisabeth. So, I took her, knowing that it was either going to be a huge success or a total failure.

We sat next to the other kids from the moms' group that Julia's familiar with. As soon as the lady started singing, Julia put on her "silently judging you" face. She refused to sing. Refused to dance. Refused to clap. She asked me multiple times to get up. She did not want a scarf. She was not partaking in this whatsoever. When story time was done, she lit up like a Christmas tree and headed straight to the kid area that she'd been coveting the entire time. There is this giant wooden cube toy with a chalk board on one side, slidy things on the other side, a car wheel and mirrors, and some other thing. Well, being Evan's child, she booked it for the car wheel and started making car noises. I was talking to another mom, when I glanced over to see what she was doing. She was still at the car thing, but had sat upon a smaller little girl. The girl, who had become Julia's own personal beanbag chair, was trying to push Julia off and get away. I, of course, became instantly embarrassed and went to save the girl from my mammoth toddler, when the little girl's dad came to help too. I was so flustered that my child had SAT ON SOMEONE ELSE that I just kept apologizing. He said he was sure that Julia hadn't done it to be mean. I smiled like I agreed. We left shortly after.

So, of course, I took her again this week. I figure she should get used to this kind of thing since eventually she'll be in preschool and I don't want her to be that one girl who doesn't know any of her nursery rhyme songs.

We took our seats and the story time lady began doing her thing. Julia made her "silently judging you" face again. I tried to get her to participate in the first few songs, but when it wasn't working, I gave my attention to a lap baby that was at my feet making super cute baby faces at me. Then, the story time lady started singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes". You'd have thunk that Julia'd been offered food or something. She started participating! I was so excited. She clapped after every song and started trying to do the hand motions for other songs. She even took a scarf for the scarf dance. And then went and took 6 more, including one from a 3 year old boy who whimpered until Julia shot him a "are you crying?" look and then he just walked away. Overall, it was quite a success.

I believe we'll be going again.

But, please know, Julia still prefers the books and computer to play with when at the library.

Lent.

I don't always give something up for Lent. I'm not Catholic, so I wasn't raised to fast during the Lent season. However, when I started dating Evan, his church (although not Catholic either) did emphasize the Lent season and giving something up.

Although I do understand all the religious reasons behind Lent, I personally find fasting as a way to better yourself. Cause, the whole point is to give something up that you feel you "need" (aka:Diet Coke). Seeing how you don't actually "need" this thing you've given up makes you appreciate it all the more when you can have it again (aka: Diet Coke) or makes you realize that you actually don't "need" it (aka: NOT Diet Coke).

So, while pondering what I should do this year, I decided to switch it up. I don't know if this is exactly church legal, but I decided to do something that I don't normally do to better myself.

This year, for 37 days, I will drink water from my large Marigold Festival mugs before I can have a Diet Coke. No water=No Diet Coke. I also have to work out for an hour at least 5 days a week.

These two are things I should be doing anyway. And, I figured out that by adding these to my daily routine, I am giving up laziness/poor drinking habits. Things I adore.

Right now, I am a bit grumpy because it is almost 3:00PM and I haven't had my ding-dong Diet Coke yet for the day. That would be because I was ignoring my water because I'd rather have a Diet Coke.

See, it's already working.

Unexplained Emotions

One of my favorite things to see is when Julia and Elisabeth unknowingly show affection to each other. Like, when Elisabeth is watching her tv shows and Julia will crawl into her lap. Elisabeth will automatically put her arms around her and cuddle Julia without even realizing she's doing it.

Or when Julia lights up when Elisabeth comes home from school.

Or when they hold hands while walking around the house.

Now, that's not to say that Julia doesn't take things she knows all too well are Elisabeth's and refuses to give them back or that Elisabeth doesn't freak out if Julia is in the same room as her because she wants some "alone time". But, for the most part, they truly love each other.

Is it anything that Evan and I are doing extremely well as parents? Um...I'd love to say YES! OF COURSE! (it's really make me feel superior as a parent), but I don't think so. For Julia, she just loves any attention from Elisabeth and if she feels she's not getting enough, she takes drastic action. With Elisabeth, she's wanted a little sister for so long that she just loves having Julia in our family.

When I was quite a bit pregnant with Julia, I was lying down and reading one of those parenting magazines with my very swollen ankles propped up while Evan was getting Elisabeth ready for bed. I could hear her chattering in that Elisabeth way of hers while Evan redirected her attention back to getting her pajamas on. Every now and then Evan would peek his head around the hallway corner of our DeKalb apartment and give me his "Oh-my-god-Ebeth-is-driving-me-crazy" looks before calmly going back to redirect yet again. I chuckled to myself because Elisabeth is quite intense when she wants to be and is the SLOWEST child alive when getting ready for anything.

I was contemplating getting up to sneak a Diet Coke, when I found this song under the "Mom Exchange" part of the magazine:

Last night while
everyone was asleep

I looked out my window, up
through the trees

The sky was so big and
covered in stars

I knew a baby brother or
sister would soon be ours

Hey Ho, our family of three

Is growing beyond my
mommy, daddy, and me

Hey HO, just how will it be

When we add another branch
to our family tree?
-From "Family Tree" on CD of the same name

I can't explain why, but I started crying. Not just sniffling, but full fledge bawling. It hit me that we were rocking Elisabeth's entire world by having a new baby. That all she knew, which was her, me and Evan, was all going to change in a matter of weeks. Nevermind the fact that she's been begging for a little sister since she was three or that she picked the name of the baby herself or that she was the most excited soon to be big sister the world has ever seen. I was mortified at the thought that we were ruining her life.

Around this time, Evan walked in. Please know that, when not pregnant, I am not much of a crier. At all. So Evan, seeing me crying like a blubbering baby, immediately thought someone had died. He ran over to (try) to sit (aka: perch) next to me on the couch and started asking me what was wrong. Was I hurt? Did I get an upsetting phone call? Was I sick?

I couldn't even talk, I was crying so hard. I showed him the lyrics to the song. He read them. Looked at me. Read them again. Looked at me like I might have lost my mind and quietly said, "What?".

"That song. That's what's wrong," I sobbed.

Evan looked at me and gave me a nice hug. Then, in a voice reserved only for the very stupid, he tried to explain to me how this song was actually a happy song. Not a sad song. I nodded and shooed him away to finish getting Elisabeth ready for bed.

When I finally got my extreme pregnancy hormones calmed down, I tried to explain to Evan what had upset me. It wasn't just Elisabeth's life that was changing, it was our whole family unit. What was I thinking starting over again when I had a 5 year old that was perfectly capable of sleeping through the night, potty trained, could feed herself, etc., etc. When would Evan and I ever get to go out again alone? What if I couldn't do it as well the second time around? How could I love two children equally?

Most of it was irrational. I knew that. A lot of it was my excelled emotional state. I knew that, too. But a good portion of it was just fear of the unknown.

I don't think I need to tell you that Julia moved into our hearts the minute we all laid eyes upon her. I don't think I need to tell you how much Elisabeth helped me when Julia was just an infant. I'm sure you've noticed that, not only is Julia a completely different baby than Elisabeth was, but I didn't forget any tricks of the trade. Yes, I struggled in some areas that were never a problem when parenting Elisabeth, but I've also exceeded in other areas that I felt were impossible the first time around.

I still have that page from the magazine. It's in my kitchen drawer. It went with me from DeKalb to Pekin (where I kept it in our bedroom) to Colorado. When I randomly stumble upon it, I take it out and read it. Sometimes, I still get a little choked up. The song still makes me emotional, but in a different way. Now when I read it, I understand the positive vibe that Evan tried explaining to almost 2 years ago. Now I see what a blessing making our family tree bigger was for all of us.

And some day, if (when) we have that third baby, I'm sure I will go through all those unexplained emotions again. I just hope that the next time I remember how wonderful the outcome was.

The Butterfly Pavillion

This weekend, I took the girls to The Butterfly Pavilion outside of Denver. I had never heard of it before, but my friend Rachel had been there with her kids and said they'd loved it. So, Rachel and her crew, our friend Kim and her offspring and me and my rugrats all ventured to see the butterflies.

It took us about an hour and a half to get there, but we divided the kids up and the big kids rode with Rachel in her van and Kim and I took Julia and the little girl that Rachel babysits in my car. We stopped at Wendy's for lunch and then headed over to The Butterfly Pavilion.

Can I please tell you how much I stinking loved that place? It was amazing. I took about a million pictures (actually...over 200!) and I shall show only a fraction of the pictures to you.



We started in the Crawl-A-See-Em. This room was full of spiders, scorpions and beetles of all kinds. There was a tarantula there that the kids got to hold.

Elisabeth didn't even bat an eye. She's been there, done that.


After the bug room, we headed over to the Water's Edge. Here the kids got to see some awesome sea creatures and even got to touch starfish and horseshoe crabs.
Julia enjoyed the fish tanks.

While in the middle of exploring the sea creatures, we heard the announcement that they were getting ready to do the butterfly release. So, we told the starfish that we'd be back and headed over to the Wings of the Tropics.
While we waited, we met a lovely tortoise name Sunshine that roams the butterfly room.

We saw this giant moth called a Luna Moth. It has no mouth. It gets super fat when it's a caterpillar and then lives off of it's fat once it has morphed into a moth. Needless to say, it only lives a few days.

The kids all sat for the butterfly presentation. Basically, the "zoo keeper" (as they called themselves) presented a cage of brand new, fresh from the cocoon butterflies, describes them, and then lets them fly while we all watch. It was stinking awesome!
One of them landed on Rachel's son, Henry.

Then we walked around looking for butterflies. The kids loved this part. I won't lie, I did too. It was like playing hide-and-seek with the butterflies. Except, instead of tagging them as "it", I took their pictures.

My favorite butterfly of the day.



Here's where they keep the cocoons. I actually watched one of the butterflies hatch.


Mabel (another one of Rachel's brood) made a tissue flower to try to entice the butterflies to land on.


Julia was such a trooper. She went without a nap and didn't even whine that much. She loved getting to follow the big kids around.

Here's the random bird that lives with the butterflies. Apparently, it doesn't eat them.





Julia being sleepy...

Henry, the future photographer.

One of the things I love about Rachel and Kim's kids is that they are so good with Julia. Each one of them at some point during the day were leading Julia by the hand. It makes my heart happy.


After about an hour of chasing butterflies, we went back to the business of sea creatures.


I heart starfish.

Julia enjoyed the grumpy looking crabs.

When we headed back to the butterflies, one landed on Elisabeth. She was so excited!



Peter, Mabel, Kayleigh and Elisabeth listening to the zoo keeper talk about another new batch of butterflies.

And Mabel finally got a butterfly to hang out on her flower.


So, there was this fantastic gift shop (of course) and I told Elisabeth she could find something in there for $5.00 or under. Well, at first, she looked for a stuffed animal (which I knew she would). Then, Henry and Mabel started asking for a certain something that was only $5.00. When Elisabeth heard what they wanted, she asked if she could have one too. Since I'm such a softie, I said yes and we ended up bringing home...

Spidey. It's a baby tarantula. Yep.

Okay, before you ask me "Why?!?!?!" as everyone else has done, please know, I am a sucker for a weird pet. I mean, we had tadpoles for a while, if you so remember. Also, I figured it would be a relatively easy pet. And, I'm not too far off. This particular tarantula is a Mexican Blonde. It needs dirt so it can burrow, a little bit of water, fed twice a week (since it's a baby, once a week when it's grown). It eats crickets, which aren't expensive. So, I mean, it's a pretty basic pet.

Except it lives 10 years if it's a male. 25 years if it's a girl.
And we don't really know if Spidey's a "he" or a "she". :)