The Denler Estate Update

Katie, why so long between tonight's two blog updates and the last ones?  I'm glad you asked...every spare second has been dedicated to the repainting our house(actually, we just spent every daylight second of the weekend painting, but it feels like forever).  Our house was built in 1953 and was a lovely natural red brick color.  So why someone thought painting it "safety red" was a good idea, we'll never know.  We've talked about painting the house since we bought it.  Kevin power washed first.  Then we primered the entire house on Saturday--and we just thought that sucked.  We weren't  primering the grout and we didn't realize how horrible and time consuming that step would be.  In half of Saturday and all day Sunday we painted the grout for the driveway side of the house and the front of the house.  As it stands now, Monday night, we have rolled on our final brown (toffee crunch, if you will) on those two walls, have most of the other side to grout paint and roll and the entire back side.  We also have shutters to paint black and put on the sides of the front 3 windows.  When it's done--if ever get there--I know I am going to love it but the actual getting there part is sucking my will to live.  If you have any spare time, I promise I have a paintbrush with your name on it...

The other pictures are of Josie on a bus--the highlight of her week at least--she loves all large pieces of machinery.  Choo choos, planes, buses, trucks all thrill her...so when Kevin saw an open bus he thought he would show her what was happening on the inside.  She loved it.  In the other picture she is looking through Kevin's legs to see a truck drive by--see, the kid loves heavy machinery...more from me later....

Picnic at Mudsock Meadow

So, our Halloween season begins.  This was a day at Liv's school--they were reenacting events from a Halloween book they read.  By the way, I am the parent of an official reader!!  Anyway, all of the first graders had to bring a costume they could put on over their uniform (btw, Liv's "costume" is courtesy of the compound--don't hold me responsible).  We were supposed to be outside, but it was raining--so to the the gym-atorium we went.  The classes rotated through beanbag tosses, pumpkin seed spitting contest, word fishing, pie tasting, and mask making.  Fun was had by all.  Up next is an array of Halloween activity.  Liv and I bought baby pumpkins and craft supplies to decorate, we'll take the whole family to the pumpkin patch for photo ops and big pumpkins to carve, then  the Shine on Line and a trick or treating festival.  What this means to you is a bevy of new pictures soon.....and by the way, the cute little boy with spiky hair is Kaidyn--Liv's boyfriend.  But don't tell anyone because Liv will be embarrassed and we can talk about my 6 year old having a boyfriend on another day....

Random pics and Liv's loses Tooth 2

Not a whole lot so say about these pics--just some daily stuff.  Josie is in the backyard and she is wanting to throw a tennis ball for Kenzie.  The pink construction hats are from the Revel--no job change for Kevin.  The other pictures are of Liv's tooth--prepped and ready for the Tooth Fairy and her on her scooter.

The Denlers do the Revel

I love the Revel, by far the best festival in Shreveport.  My mom had a few spare hours on Tuesday and the rain blew over, so we were Revel bound.  Liv knew what to expect, but Josie was pleasantly surprised.  We had a funnel cake on our way to play, first stop--Sand Art for Liv.  It is a beautiful creation and another sand member of the family to add to the shelf--this one is Abby and she got a customized rocker hairdo.  Josie was highly impressed with the hair.  After that we were off to kid grocery store.  Liv got a list and kinda did a scavenger hunt.  Josie went carb crazy and loaded up 84 rolls and pancakes into her buggy then pushed it around the store like a maniac.  Right next door there was a couple of dirt pits set up and Josie had fun with that while Liv went through the medical clinic and showed off her elbow wrapping skills.  After that, we attempted face paint (hand for Josie).  Only Liv made it out with any paint on her body.  Liv also painted me a pot--can't wait to plant in that little baby in the Spring.  I forget--do seasons get capitalized?  Liv also attempted to catch a catfish....after all of that excitement, we loaded up the kiddos and headed home.  I don't know who had more fun--me or the kids.  

Hip Hip Hooray...It's a Gymboree Day!!

So, Josie has been a Gymboreer for a couple of months now but it's hard to stop playing long enough to take pictures.  Josie loves it and is quite a show off--she is the best climber in her class.  She is in a class for 16-22 month olds and they are learning problem solving concepts...not that I'm breeding magnet child--it's simple stuff like top vs bottom and loud vs quiet.  The teacher sets up activities that illustrate the concepts--Josie usually participates for a minute or two and then she has her own agenda to address.  She loves the rocking ride, and all of the ladders and slides and balls, and drums, and the air log....and everything.  It's great b/c I get to feel like I'm helping to teach her something, we never get rained out and when we pull up to the place Josie squeals with excitement and she looks like she could burst with excitement at any second...which would totally be worth the mess it would make!!  Anyway, here are some pics so you can see Josie in action....

Keri Russell is my new best friend...and Josie's 18 month well visit.

Kevin, Josie and I went to the Revel on Saturday and had a rockin' good time.  Josie got to dig in the dirt, build things with blocks, and grocery shop--complete with kid size cart and shopping list.  This was not the perfect time to have left the house without my camera--none of preciousness captured on film.  Anyway, when she got hot we rolled on over to Sci-Port for some inside play and who is there--Keri Russell and her husband and baby.  She was super cute and tiny.  The Denlers played it cool, but eventually Josie made first contact.  Upstairs at Sci-Port is and exhibit where a ball is suspended in the air and she stole the ball--from Keri's baby.  Perfect, my kid has no manners.  We introduced ourselves--her husbands name is also Kevin, and the baby is River (16 mos old).  The kids played together for a while and we made small talk.  Sci-Port ain't that big, so after that we made our way through the place together.  Josie was wearing her brand new mooshues--they squeak when she walks.  When it was time to leave, they waved bye...she is in town for a couple of months filming Leaves of Grass with Ed Norton and Susan Sarandon.  So, that's it.  Even though, as they walked away I am sure they wanted to hang with the Denlers longer....

Onto Josie's doctors visit.  It was just a well visit for them to tell me my kid is growing right and totally normal--which I already knew.  So, the appt is at 9, and I am amazingly right on time.  At 10:15 we are finally moved from the waiting room to an exam room to wait some more.  Entertaining a 1 year old in a small space for that long is exhausting and ridiculous--like could I have shown up to the drs office at 10:30 for my 9 appt since that was that actual time I was going to be seen?  No.  They would send me away with new appt on another day.  Surely not, you say, well I know this to be true b/c I unintentionally tried it when Josie was a week old.  Josie was cool until we got to the exam room and then she remembered this is the place where shots are administered and she lost it.  She screamed through all of the painless activities like, measuring her head circumference and length.  Thank goodness we had a window, she was distracted by a bus driving by long enough to realize that no needles were presently entering her body.  Dr. Brown ran in long enough to tell me my kid was totally normal and on track--no duh, Dr. Brown, no duh.  So, my kid is 21 and 1/2 pounds and 31" tall.  A little above average on height and under average on weight.  And off the charts on the cuteness levels....even the dr said so.

We left the appt with just enough time to eat lunch with Liv.  It was a surprise for Liv, so that was fun.  No pics today, but I did get some good action shots of Josie playing in the backyard and at Gymboree--if she hadn't just woken up from her nap, I'd upload them now...... 

Duck Pond, tripod tricks, and Josie gets a potty!!

Well, with a title like that I just know I have you all on the edges of your seat.  We took the girls to the Duck Pond on Sunday and we were the first people there for the day and thereby the most popular with the ducks who wanted breakfast, even if that meant eating my kids.  Since it was early and they were still being sweet (my kids, I mean) I elected to skip out sacrificing them--this time.  The ducks were really aggressive and after one of them charged and hissed at Josie, Daddy decided we were done...off to play we went.  Fun was had by all.  Josie is growing into quite the show pony these days and is constantly learning new "tricks".  We call this one the Tripod--just her head and feet touching the ground, arms out.  It is hilarious to watch her fold her body in half and she thinks it is hilarious that we laugh at her.  Also, of late, Josie has been really into potty talk.  When you ask her if she has pooped or whatever (hey, I realize we're getting into mom only territory her, but I promise it won't last long) she grabs her diaper and says potty and runs to the bathroom.  So, the Denlers (and more specifically Josie) are proud new owners of a Royal Throne Potty.  We went with blue since everything in our bathroom has to work around the blue tub.  The potty has sensors in it so it knows when Josie has made a "deposit" and then it plays music.  Funny.  She likes it, but is still working on lining her body up the right way to sit on it.  Not that Josie is saying bye to diapers just yet, but this does feel like progress.

For all you detail oriented people, the pictures are blurry b/c my camera battery is low but I didn't care enough to not get the pictures to stop and charge.  The beige with blue sponge painted bathroom walls are not the Denlers idea of a good time, that's the way they were at time of purchase.  If you've ever seen my bathroom, you know it is in constant remodel mode, painting has to happen later.  Also, Candance--check Liv in the gray birthday sweater you got her--cute, right?

I guess that's all I have for now....but coming soon I'll have pics from Gymboree--a goal for tomorrow, Liv reenacting activities from a book at school (our first 1st grade play), and Josie's well baby update....