Birthday Debachery

Although Delaney's birthday is still a week away we celebrated this weekend with a "Horsie Party," which was Tyce's (very perceptive) suggestion. We started out the day with opening the presents that she and Tyce had already opened twice the day before when I set them out. Laney did a nice job of acting surprised again, well, she probably was since she has the memory of an almost two-year-old. Todd and I had gotten her a gigantic plastic kitchen and had the video camera rolling when she came around the corner and saw it. Nothing. No response at all. She just walked up to it and started playing. We're feeling a little more gratified now that she has played with it non-stop for a few days. The gifts were followed up with a requested breakfast of french toast and pear honey while wearing her party hat and sunglasses, as pictured.

Family started arriving later in the morning and Delaney and Tyce were ecstatic to see everyone. Grandma Debbie and Papa Jared brought her a cowboy hat and a horse-riding helmet. She alternated wearing the two hats the rest of the day. The helmet came in especially handy since Grandpa Steve and Grandma Heather arrived bearing a brand new, handmade rocking horse. Tyce dragged out his wooden rocking horse and the races got a little intense. Tyce also taught Delaney to grab her hat and wave it up in the air while yelling "yeee-haaaaw". We have no idea where he learned that.

All of her little friends and their parents began arriving just in time for dinner and cake. The kids filled up on chips and guacamole and the grown-ups had some western-themed dinner. We held them off for as long as we could, but the kids eventually wore us down and the cake-related festivities begin. Delaney sang along with everyone to "Happy Birthday," as she had been practicing doing all day long, then managed to get the two candles blown out on the third try. Pretty darn good for a two year old. She downed two pieces of cake and ice cream and licked the plate clean, then went back to chips and guacamole. Her friends had all brought very nice gifts for her and she was so happy that they had all come to party like wild-things with her.

The next morning Todd and I awoke to mysterious quiet... Looking into the kitchen we spied both kids standing on step-stools licking the cake platter among the pile of unwashed dishes. When I finally got up and fed them some real food I noticed that one of the frosting-covered birthday candles was half-eaten. Now that's a great birthday!

Aww... they really do love each other.

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks. Tyce seems to be loving playing with Delaney, now that she can almost keep up with him. Their favorite activity is helping Aunt Tanager run her dogs outside of town. They all (kids and dogs) race along dirt trails, getting completely filthy and worn out. They also like singing together and playing in their new "coyote cave" (a Hello Kitty tent that Lane got for her birthday). Anyhow, here are some pictures of the "best buds".

Two cats and a rabbit

The four of us are animal lovers. Crammed into our tiny house, along with us, are our two crazy cats and one feisty rabbit. To the kids, the pets serve mainly as a source of entertainment. Nothing is funnier than a sneezing cat or a growling rabbit. I'm the sucker. I see a cute animal and I want it, especially if it is a baby that will need constant care during the night. Now that I am the primary care-taker for three animals and two kids (and one husband) I have managed to rein in that instinct a bit. I'm still the impulse shopper at the pet store who thinks that a rabbit needs multiple toys and a pink leash. I've also purchased no fewer than three cushy cat beds in spite of the fact that the cats insist on sleeping in boxes, on windowsills, and in Todd's recliner. Todd, however, is the true tender heart when it comes to the pets. This morning, in a rush to get out the door, he was brushing his teeth at the kitchen sink since one of the cats ran into the bathroom and began drinking out of the sink when he turned it on and he didn't want her to have to go elsewhere. And if the cats are sleeping in his recliner... well, nobody had better disturb them. Seriously. I get kicked out of that chair the minute he walks in the door, but for the cats, he'll make us all sit on the floor rather than waking them up from a nap prematurely.

Bella is our beautiful and smart black cat, who we adopted shortly after purchasing our first home. She was a cute little kitten but within weeks of coming to live with us she seemed on the verge of death. Her back legs stopped working and she just laid on the floor crying. I thought she was a gonner for sure, but when we took her to the vet he couldn't find a thing wrong, so we think it must have just been a pulled muscle. She survived, and we appreciated her all the more after paying a sizable vet bill for a very small kitten. Bella has personality. As our friend Tim Sorey puts it: "Why would you guys keep such a vile creature???". Well, we love her. She is moody and seems to have anxiety issues. She bites anyone who tries to pet her, in spite of the fact that she will have been begging for the attention. But she does love Todd and Delaney. Todd, because he gives her anything she wants, and Delaney, because she gives her treats and doesn't chase her with a sword. And she'll let me pet her for longer than most people before she bites me.

Luna was adopted when Bella was about two years old and is our laid-back, but not real bright cat. In fact, she's so laid back that the kids have learned that she is the perfect subject for "dental exams" and usually check her teeth once or twice a day by sticking their fingers in her mouth and telling her to "open up". She has the softest fur and never demands a bit of attention. She is Tyce's playing buddy and will always chase string or sit next to him at dinner. When we sleep at night she chooses one member of the family to curl up next to and arranges herself so that the she has a maximum amount of body surface in contact with that person. She prefers a crooked knee to sleep curled up in, but isn't opposed to stretching full length alongside someone either. And I think that she loves me most of all.

We really do love both these cats. When Tyce was a newborn and crying all night long in my arms, Bella would uncharacteristically rub against my legs, like she knew that I needed extra comforting. This innate sense of compassion seems to have continued as the kids have gotten older. Both Bella and Luna run to be near the kids if they are crying. It is the most interesting and heartwarming thing to see. You'd think that they'd head the other direction, like they usually do when loud kids are involved. But they trot over to the crier and, if they aren't immediately reassured, they put their front paws on Tyce or Delaney until he or she stops crying and gives them a pat. That's just one reason why we love them and wouldn't be a family without them.

Dora is our latest addition. She is a Netherlands dwarf rabbit that was adopted from a family that could no longer keep her. The plan was for her to live outside and play nicely on the kids' laps. Once Todd saw her, though, she was quickly moved inside into a brand-new jumbo-sized cage, complete with accessories (and the previously mentioned toys). She does hop happily around the yard or house, sometimes on her fancy pink leash, and will sit with the kids for a few minutes. But, she is getting demanding. She growls at us and thumps her back feet when we have to catch her to put her back in her cage. She is getting fat from her new cushy life-style but still manages to evade capture for a good ten minutes while I move couches around trying to catch her after free-range sessions. Now that's entertainment for the kids.

The Preschool Chronicles.

After another two days of preschool this week, I can happily report that we are adjusting well to the new activity. Tyce attends twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday morning at 8:10, which tests Todd's and my ability to get four people dressed and fed before eight in the morning, a task we have never before attempted. This morning, we actually only managed to get one person fed before we had to head out the door. Luckily, it was Tyce so Delaney and I were able to return home for breakfast after dropping Tyce off and Todd had to survive with just a cup of coffee for the day, but that's nothing new for him.

Tyce willingly hoped out of the car and practically skiped to his new classroom, pointing at other little kids walking toward the building saying "there's one of my friends!" although he has yet to remember any of their names ("I forgot to ask them today"). He loves his teachers, Mrs. Lotz and Mrs. Hansen, who he calls "Mrs. Floats and Mrs. Handsome". The side of the preschool classroom has a interrogation-style room with a one-way mirror where we parents huddled and watched the kids. All of the kids in Tyce's class seem to be embracing the experience and I can already tell that observing Circle Time is going to become addictive. The kids are hilarious! They all physically turned on their "listening ears" by twisting a pretend toggle behind their ears but the circle quickly erupted into shouting when the teacher read a page from a book about cats. Apparently preschoolers have the very strong urge to shout out factoids about their cats. I couldn't even make out any of the comments because there was such a hubbub. Finally reassured that our kids weren't going to burst into tears the minute they noticed we were gone or start whacking other children with toys, the other parents and I tore ourselves away from the tot-drama, returning to pick them up at 10.

I have been realizing what a funny and interactive little lady Delaney is now that I am able to give her my undivided attention for a couple of hours. She finally gets to do pretty much exactly as she chooses. We read books, color, sing, and wrestle. And talk and talk and talk. As long as I sit down on the floor with her she is as happy as can be, piling one activity after another into my lap. She does, however, ask for Tyce just about every five minutes while he is gone. I am really looking forward to having this time with her and am determined to make the most of it!

When went to pick Tyce up, Delaney stood outside the door watching for Tyce to come (they release the kids one-by-one to their individual parents) and periodically hollered in the door for him or asked the teacher at the door "where's Tyce?". When he emerged from what must appear to be Utopia to Delaney, she screamed "HI HANDSOME!!!" and wraped him up in a big hug. I think she really did miss him! I am feeling really good about my choice of preschool because I have yet to see any crying when kids are dropped off but today at least two girls where crying when they had to leave. Ahh... what a relief!
It is killing me, though, to not know every detail of Tyce's day. I try to get some info out of him but it doesn't always make sense. Today he told me that his favorite thing was "swimming when they went outside" but not in water, just pretending, apparently. And he didn't get to play trains today because the teacher said "only two kids at the train table" but he didn't seem too disappointed about that. Snack time has also been a highlight of each day and I have been able to get copious details in that department. Tyce also picked up a new phrase today, although he seems a bit unsure of its meaning. While playing with his trucks he shouted "I'm under attack!" but quickly followed up with "Now I'm over a tack!" so apparently he thinks of "attack" as an item. While the reports may be scattered, he seems to be happy and adjusting well to preschool, so we're all happy too.

Preschool is a HIT!

Today was Tyce's first day at Tri-Tech Preschool and he loved it! It was actually a one-hour "parent-child day" so Todd and I got to go too, which is making the seperation a little easier on us. Tyce met his teachers, Mrs. Lotz and Mrs. Hansen, when we got there and then willingly followed Mrs. Hansen as she took him by the hand to get his picture taken for his nametag. That's when the crying started... for me! He was such a little man, answering everyone's questions and behaving himself. We are so proud of him.

His preschool is a "laboratory" school that is a class for highschoolers interested in early childhood education. About fifteen well-prepared high school girls were stationed around the room at the various stations that the little guys get to choose to be at. They quickly engaged the kids and Tyce had a willing partner in his puppet show (he tells me that her name was Collette, but I'm not sure if that is true or not), which was one of his first activities. There were three different art stations, play-dough, blocks, a trough full of beans, puzzles, and wooden trucks. Tyce discovered the train table and was smitten. I have a feeling that that is where most of his preschool hours will be spent and we'll be lucky if there is ever anything for us in his "art folder".

We had to drag him away from his classroom at the end of the day with promises that he'll get to go for longer next week and all by himself. He is very excited about going back and getting to have a snack at school. His teachers each said goodbye and he gave them high-fives and headed to the car. We found a very studious looking Laney waiting for us at home!

The Rogers Family Book Club.

In order to tear myself away from bikini shopping for Hawaii, where we will be spending Christmas with my parents and sister, I decided it was time to update my blog. The main reason that it has been awhile since I've added to my page is that I have been absolutely engrossed in reading a new series that my friends and I discovered. Three of us have been passing along the four books in the "Twilight" series, by Stephanie Meyer, and in about two weeks we've all managed to read the almost 3000 pages involved. These are nice, quick-paced, vampire love stories written for teenagers. And we've all been enjoying them. Each book in the series is better than the last and I just finished up the final book and can hardly stop thinking about it. The movie of the first book comes out next month, so my mania will resume then! Anyhow, if you've got 40 hours or so to spare, pick these books up. We tried to get them from the library but they had between 20 and 50 "holds" on the various books, so they are very popular. I can't wait to read her book "The Host" which is actually written for adults.

I'm sure everyone knows what readers my kids are and even Todd, in spite of his busy work schedule, is engrossed in a Dean Koontz book that he dug out of a box. The kids both love reading dinosaur books and one of their favorites is called "Dinosaur Fact Finder," which was given to Todd by one of his co-workers who had decided it was time to get rid of all of his favorite childhood books. But, this isn't a childhood book! It is practically a field-guide to dinosaurs. Although I find it quite boring, I am very thankful for the fact that it has a pronunciation key on each page and helpful little facts about what each dinosaur eats because that is all that Tyce wants to know. Delaney also loves a book called "Dinosaur Roar!" and walks around the house asking "wha dinasa raaaa?" (where's Dinosaur Roar?)until someone goes and finds it for her.

The new "story time" in our house, though, is Tyce playing a sort of mad-lib game with anyone who will participate where he makes up long stories that usually include someone getting pooped on by a goose and finish off with many animals coming to our house ("in Kennewick") for cookies. However, the rhino has not been invited back into the house since he broke one of our chairs during snack-time in the first story Tyce told. Tyce is getting really good a weaving some complicated tales like the one today where a crab and a lobster followed bear tracks into a "long, deep cave" where they discovered the bear and "pinched it with their claws". Thank goodness this was a long story since we were stuck at Les Schwaab for an hour and a half this morning!

Last Christmas the kids' Great-Grandma Billie got them each a book that incorporates their names and the names of their friends into the stories. These are some of their favorite books since, let's face it, who doesn't love hearing stories about themselves. Tyce gets to rescue farm animals and Delaney helps a mermaid save her mer-dad. After the rescues are complete they return to their home and tell all their friends (who are named by name!) about their adventures. Very fun.

Delaney loves books that allow her to sing along, including "Baby Beluga" and "I've Been Working on the Rail Road". In fact, Baby Beluga is now her go-to song whenever she is asked to perform and, unlike her brother, she doesn't have a trace of stage fright. In fact, somewhere along the way she has learned to clasp her hands near her mouth like a microphone and swing her hips to the nearly unintelligable singing she produces. While Tyce was spinning yarns about ocean animals this morning at Les Schwaab, Lane discovered that she had a "captive audience" to sing to (seven-month old twin girls, strapped into their carseats and propped up on the floor). Much to the amusement of entire waiting room, Delaney gave a spellbinding performance of Baby Beluga with an encore of Baby Beluga.

Well, that's it for today, so to quote Delaney: Bye, Bye Alligator!