The options ran through our heads – we wanted the kids to see the tour and I really didn’t want Petie to miss it so I could either just hang around with her purse or….the numbers clicked. It had taken us 15 minutes to get there and we had (a little less than) 30 minutes until the tour started. I said, “I’m just going to run for it – I should make it.” Hopefully being able to run instead of carrying kids would make up for having to go back up to our room and putting the purse away in the safe.
We quickly agreed that I’d meet them there after the tour if I didn’t make it back in time and I started to take off down the street. After about half a step I realized something and called back to Petie, “uh, I’m going to look like a purse snatcher!” Going along with the role play, I tucked the purse under my arm and ran from the law.
I’m sure I looked pretty odd running with a purse through the streets of Downtown Denver as most people were making their way to work on a Monday morning. I guess it was pretty unlikely that I would be purse snatching in broad daylight so any strange looks were probably more like “why is he in a hurry and why does he carry a purse?”
I made the roundtrip in about 20 minutes and arrived, winded, in time. One of the Mint workers obviously had a heads-up that I was coming and said “ah, you made it.” Several of the people on the tour greeted me when I went through security as well. Apparently the girls were distraught and were worried I wouldn’t make it.
We enjoyed the tour and I recommend visiting if you are in Denver – just make reservations….and don’t bring a purse.
One of the things we wanted to do while in Denver this summer was to visit the U.S. Mint. Petie fondly recalls her trip to the Bureau of Engraving in Washington, D.C. and thought that the girls would enjoy it.
Who knew how popular these tours were? A month in advance most of the tours were full. Luckily, I was able to score 4 spots in the 8 a.m. tour on the Monday we were scheduled to leave.
I pulled out the tickets the night before and noted that we were not allowed to bring purses or backpacks. Usually we have both with us, so that was important to remember.
We leave the hotel at 7:00 a.m. which is early, but when the kids are ready, they’re ready to GO. As luck would have it between catching all the lights and not having to wait for a bus we find ourselves across the street from the Mint at 7:15. It’s locked down and there is nothing around really (except for a long line of those hoping to get on the waitlist…ha ha) so we walk around the block.
Elise is asking to be carried by Petie so she asks if I can hold her purse. Uh oh. We both realize the problem – purses not allowed. Being the optimist I said “C’mon, they HAVE to have a locker or something we can rent.”
At 7:30, the open up the building so people with the 8:00 tour can start going through security procedures. Petie was right. “Sorry, you’ll have to take the purse back to your car, ” the security guard said. Petie and I gave each other a helpless look. “How far away are you parked?”, he wondered. Uh, we are staying at the Hotel Monaco across town. The security guard wasn’t budging. We wouldn’t be able to make the tour after all.
A situation many parents dread – your child wakes you up in the morning or emerges from her room distraught. “The tooth fairy didn’t come last night!” Uh oh.
There is a solution – Petie was over at a friend’s house last week when their daughter came out and said “the tooth fairy didn’t come AGAIN!” Apparently this was two nights in a row. Petie quickly responded, “Oh you didn’t see the e-mail? The tooth fairy is on vacation.” Props to her for that quick thinking.
I wasn’t there but she volunteered me to create the e-mail that the person “must have missed”. So if anyone runs into the problem, I have toothfairyhouston@gmail.com
See below for your template if you create your own – you can always backdate and change the from e-mail address if you forward it.
==================================
May 21, 2010
Dear Parents,
As a reminder I will be on vacation from Monday, May 24th through Saturday, June 5th. If there are any teeth lost during that time period please let your children know that I will be back on Sunday night, June 6th.
Remember back when we were little and we would settle down after bathtime and watch YouTube videos? No? Well I don’t remember how this started but now between bathtime and storytime the kids beg to watch some funny videos that we have shown them.
I remember reading a children’s story at Thanksgiving about a turkey who wanted the farmer to name him because he’d noted that all the animals on the farm that had a name were never killed. Wise thoughts from a turkey, I know. It’s true though and I defy anyone to find a house more loved then our Wimberley house. It’s had many names over the years, but it has a current set that I hope stick. The upstairs room above the garage is “Nana’s Attic”, though Chris nicknamed it the “Alice in Wonderland” Room because of the tiny door on one side and the door that floats high on the other side. It’s not hard to imagine the girls falling in love with that room as they get older. The other bedroom is Poppy’s Treehouse because of the trees and the gorgeous porch. I like the treehouse allusion because of all my childhood memories with Sarah and me playing in what she once dubbed her oneric house (I wish I had that essay she wrote!)
This weekend, Elise called what used to be the “carriage house” (Nana and Poppy’s one room garage apartment) the “Bird House.” Her use of that word was definitely only because of the bird knocker on the outside, but I love that name. It’s so fitting because it’s smaller and cozier and I like to think of Joelle and Nana hanging in the hammocks looking for birdies. Joelle jumped in on the naming game and called what used to be the outhouse, the “kid zone.” I think she likes it.
Thank you, Nana and Poppy, we love what you guys did and can’t wait to have more and more stories. “God’s Little Acre”, certain to stick with the lovely sign, is very appropriately named.
Yesterday, when I picked up Elise from school, Ms. Iva said, “Elise must be tired or about to get sick because she was very crabby today.” The substitute helper kindly chirped in, “she woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Indeed, their greetings at pickup were true. Elise was crabby. Elise is learning about an average of one word a day now. Yesterday’s word? Crabby. On the way home, she said, “I crabby.”
Joelle was actually pretty sweet yesterday. Since she had her first Mad Science class (another story I should share), I was worried she might also be “crabby.” She was good… until bed time. She has this thing, which I also share, where she has to finish whatever it is she’s working on. Joelle and I are not procrastinators. I get that, but I was also bone tired from the work going on in the house and Elise’s crabbiness. So, she got the short end of mom’s patience and we ended up in a fight. This morning, she was still a little sore with me. I said to her, “baby, it looks like you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” There was a slight pause and then she said, “I only have one side of the bed.” That was enough to make me laugh and then she giggled back. The dreary mood was lifted.
…and then there is me. This house project needs to be done. It’s very hard for me to continue to have strangers in my house, particularly when they continually leave huge messes, scratched walls, floor with tape stuck on it, broken furniture and dust – so much dust. Poor Chris. I forget what he said last night exactly, but it was something like, “women have ups and downs.” He’s right and he has a whole house full of them. I think our good days totally make up for the bad, but I’m sorry for the rough days, Chris.
My dad put a little poke out there for me to write a blog. I’m glad he does this because it’s generally a good spur for me to post; however, I just haven’t been in the mood as of late. Yes, we’ve had some cuteness and adorable moments, but they’ve been overshadowed by some rowdy tantrums from Joelle. We actually asked her pediatrician if it was okay that she was still having them (yes, Joelle and I asked together AND it is ok, for the record.) I knew they’d eventually break and they did. I think Nana even uncovered the root problem. While dealing with her utter exhaustion after school, Joelle couldn’t also absorb the frustration that her wishes weren’t coming true. Yes, Joelle is mesmerized by fairies, wishes and magic. She wished upon a star that she would get to do whatever it is that she wants to do and, well, that hasn’t exactly happened. It was a strange discussion, but I think she kind of understands the concept of “unanswered prayers” and “you shouldn’t always get what you wish for.”
As if by magic, her tantrums reached an apex and then sort of petered out. Then, the very next day, no joke THE next day… Elise started in on her tantrums. Think Joelle’s tantrums in a tiny miniature form. Elise stands in the middle of the living room, her little fists balled up, and yells, “I haaaaa you.” She has no idea what she’s saying, but she’s imitating the “I hate you,” that Joelle likes to hurl at me. I really thought I was going to lose it. I had dealt with Joelle for about a month and having to switch over to dealing with the new foe with no break was really hard for me.
I did snap myself out of feeling sorry for myself, no worries, but coupled with some sicknesses and halloween, I’m really looking forward to moving on! Here’s to some fun and more frequent blogs.
September 21, 2008 at 7:11 pm
· Filed under family
It all started with me wanting to get my hair done. When the girls started back to school and everyone asked what I would do with all my loads of spare time, I always said, “I want to get my hair cut.” Then, I finally got both girls to school and I was hit with bronchitis and an ear infection. I got well from that and Ike hit.
I know everyone has heard tons about the hurricane. I won’t write too much. It’s just that it’s so amazing that something out of the blue can come along and change so much. I feel like a week out of my life is gone. We were survivors and made it in our own home for 5 days, but eventually opted for refugee status and my parents’ house. Having a home with no power really affects children. Personally, I didn’t think it was too bad as long as a. we had water and b. the neighbors across the street didn’t have power. It was really difficult living in a home with no water (we went for about a day and a half without). That’s one thing I didn’t count on. Had the water not come on Sunday night, we would’ve left. The water did come on and we stayed, but on Wednesday night, when the street minus our last 4 houses received power and we did not, I couldn’t stand the heart wrenching display of lights across the street. I know they weren’t purposefully flaunting it, but every light in every window was ablaze!
Living with my parents was a blessing. The girls were much happier. Elise would routinely check in with everyone to make sure all her peeps were there. Coming home to check on our dead house every day was sad though and we’re so happy it’s back up. The girls were happy, too. Every day we would get excited about one thing “working again.” Now, we wait on Wilchester and Memorial Drive United Methodist Church. Neither have power yet, so the girls will continue to wait on school.
Poor Chris will never live down his comment to me, but on the day he went back to work (uh, Monday, most guys have been home all week), I was grumpy. He would have A/C, internet and be generally normal. He said, “it’s just like summer.” I know he was trying to cheer me up, but this was definitely not just like summer.
Thank you CenterPoint for getting our lights up! I just hope the girls transition back to school happily when the time finally comes. Should I take back to school pictures…. again?
September 6, 2008 at 9:07 pm
· Filed under elise, family
There are some weeks, periods when you have little kids and it’s hard. I’ve noted that most people that have had little kids quickly forget how challenging it can be. This week was one of those harder weeks for me and Chris. I was out for a lot of the team challenges, leaving Chris, well, without a team. I listened as he herded little Elise through the daily chores of life: bathing, eating and playing. Elise is absolutely adorable. She’s also hilarious. And she’s almost two. So, you take the good with the bad. I’ll also say that where Joelle was tenacious in her temper tantrums, with a 30 minute scream and pound fest the norm, Elise has quick little fits with a fast turn around time.
It’s with this background in mind that I share what I overheard someone say at a birthday party. The mommie of the birthday girl had an adorable birthday cupcake cake where cupcakes were placed in the shape of a pig and a thick layer of icing was placed on top to make it look like a cake. Brilliant, right? No knives needed. I heard a lady say to her husband, “boy, I wish they had those when we were doing this.” I started crying a little through a strange laugh that only Chris was around to witness. I was thinking, “Yes, the cupcake cake. Life is SO much easier with little kids now.”
…and yet I have not utilized this tidy invention meant to save mother’s insanity. Perhaps that is why we feel crazy at the end of some days? We do adore our babies and all our blessings and wouldn’t trade any of it in a heartbeart. (and are so lucky to have family to help – that’s a shout out, if you can’t tell.) Here’s an example of why they earn their cupcakes around here: Elise calls cupcakes, “cup creams.” I think it’s because she adores ice cream so much and learned that word early!
August 28, 2008 at 12:08 pm
· Filed under family, vacation
Monday (8/3) – We all pile in to the car for the zoo in the morning. As is her custom during the trip, Elise kinda gets tired of the car (was it the seat? was it the time in the car?) and starts complaining. Uncle Joey is a sport, but later comments that Elise has pretty much convinced Uncle Joey and Tia Ria against having more kids. Was it the car trips?
The animals seem to come out for us and go right back in as we pass by and we enjoy our zoo experience, especially the kettle corn. I will note that the Houston zoo also has a “ghost of the bayou” but doesn’t make a big deal of it. We walked in the reptile house at the Houston zoo the weekend after returning from SLC and I exclaimed, “a ghost of the bayou!”
We went to the mall in the afternoon where the kids play in the play area. Chris notes the typical zoned out parents there. Just like Houston! We go to dinner at Joy Luck, but Petie secretly notes that it isn’t quite as “authentic” as her experiences in Houston. Elise is a complete mess with dumping water, then dumping sugar. …and it’s all a sticky mess all over.
Tuesday (8/4) – We visit Thanksgiving Point gardens in the morning. We thoroughly enjoy the vast gardens, really very nice. At the end of the morning with everyone tired, Chris runs with Joelle up THE hill to try to get it over with. Ouch. Joey and Petie try to quickly roll the stroller up the hill. Not much easier. When we go back in the afternoon, I have to prove to Chris that I can also carry Joelle up the hill. I’m not competitive at all. Luckily, Chris and Elise appear at the top of the hill to witness my approach. It sucked.
Joelle and I enjoy chalking up the back porch with messages to Joaquin before another yummy dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. I liked Maria’s comment about our system there. Yes, we do have quite a little system…We all have an iDesign night until bedtime. During our IDesign play, Chris has a famous comment about no shoes. He judges one of Maria’s outfits as the best…but it lacks shoes. An outfit is not complete without shoes, according to Chris. Maria sweeps otherwise. Uncle Joey has very questionable outfit choices – the pill box hat, again?
Wednesday (8/5) – We take a trip to the park at the elementary school (little park and one with rocks) and come home to get ready to leave. Sniff!!!! When will we see Tia Ria, Uncle Joey and Joaquin again? Elise LOVES the escalator at the airport. We went up and down that thing at least 20 times. The flight is pretty tolerable.
Throughout the trip – We all enjoyed watching some spanish videos. STAIRS were constantly a problem with Elise. She loved them, all of them, everywhere. Elise was completely enthralled by Joaquin’s old bouncy chair. She would climb in and her little face looked like she was expecting it to take off even as it sagged to the floor…not made for 18 month olds. Maybe she thought it was a ride at Disney? Joaquin looked like a little tortoise in comparison to his rowdy cousins. Elise took awhile to get on schedule… I think she was OK on the last day. Joaquin loved Joelle when he first met her. Oh, a princess, he thought. He got over it though. I enjoyed the fruit pilfering from Nani and hope she attains success with her peach, er, apricot trees.
