Des Moines Visit

We decided about six months ago to go to Des Moines for a visit to Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Watson. On a side note, we sit around the house most weekends with nothing to do, no one calling us, no place to go, etc. And I've been having a lot of trouble picking up hours at work lately too, low census or over-staffed, so I've been almost begging co-workers to hire me or let me pick up a few hours for them (pretty sad really, I mean who ever begs to go to work?!?). But without telling anybody that we were planning to go out of town, we turned out to be missed quite a bit! A couple of friends called to go out, and I had offers from FIVE co-workers to pick up shifts at work over the weekend! Isn't it funny how that always works out that way?

Anyway, back to Des Moines. We enjoyed a nice visit with Jack and Lois, and Bob and Linda came with us too - they ended up spoiling us by taking Maddie for the weekend and keeping her with them at the apartment while Zach and Livi and Scott and I went back to the hotel for swimming and sleeping. It was a lot less stressful for me anyway, making the weekend a lot more enjoyable! We spent a lot of time playing at the Wesley Acres playground - all 3 kids LOVED this! And there were lots of toys to run around with from the daycare center that runs there during the week. Another fun outing was going to the science center - Zach and Livi had a blast there! There were so many activities for the kids, I think we could have spent the whole weekend there! Lots of time to spend with Jack and Lois and visit with them, too!

The best part for Livi and Zach was the swimming pool at the hotel. Livi was incorrigible about reminding us on an almost constant basis about the swimming pool and her need to go there! We heard from her at least 30 times during dinner Saturday evening, "We need to go to the hotel, to 1-1-2, and then to the swimming pool!" Yes, we stayed in room 112, which she named "one one two." I think that she was mad at us on Sunday when we left and came home. She was ready to permanently move into 1-1-2.

It's so funny how things work out though. On Thursday morning I had to take Olivia to a doctor's appointment at the WFMC (World Famous Mayo Clinic), and we saw a developmental/behavioral specialist, which has followed her from the NICU. Anyway, I was so angry with him when we left - he irritates me about half the times we see him anyway - but after hearing from preschool teachers and our observations, we had decided to send her to kindergarten this fall. After a lot of stress, we got into the school that we wanted to, then see this doctor who tells us that he doesn't think that she's ready for kindergarten and that she's too anxious and won't function well in school. I was furious, and getting more so as time passes. I could rant about this for pages and pages, but we'll leave it at that. So then at the swimming pool there were a couple of girls about 6 years old I'd guess, playing in the water. Olivia got brave and decided that she could "bounce" in the water without holding onto us. Then she spotted these two little girls, and asked if she could talk to "the girls." So I told her that she could, but that she'd have to go over there (about 3 feet away). So she did! Scott and I were shocked! Three times Olivia approached the girls: Hi! I'm Olivia! I was so excited and proud! And in the back of my mind, I know that this child will be fine for kindergarten this fall. Maybe there is a little anxiety with a big change (new school, school bus), but I think that she'll be fine - and besides it's like 5 months away yet.

Shoe Shopping

With the seasons threatening to make a permanent change to spring-like weather, I decided the kids were really needing some new shoes. Well, that and for practical reasons like their shoes were getting well-worn holes in them and feet were growing faster than the shoes.

So I was feeling brave a couple of weeks ago and decided to venture out with the three kids in search of shoes.

Olivia is pretty easy to buy shoes for - or so I thought. I packed up the three kids and we headed to Wal-Mart. To the shoe section we went. Olivia was VERY excited! We first saw the nice Disney princess sandals that Olivia believed she would die without! But I kept looking - quickly - Maddie was starting to get impatient with the "slow" shoppers (which means we had stopped moving for a period of longer than 2 seconds). After a few minutes and several try-ons Olivia and I settled on 2 pairs of sandals: one pretty dainty white sandals with little heels on them and another more practical pair that are lavendar and have butterflies and flowers on them. So I put them in the cart and Olivia decided that was the time to really get into shoe shopping! She ran down the aisle and started grabbing at other sandals: Mommy, I need to try these on too! I want these! Clearly, I am going to have to have an Olivia-shoe-account someday sooner rather than later!

Then the next day the kids and I headed to StrideRite for Zach's new shoes. We have to buy his shoes there, probably always will, because his feet are so wide. So we went in and - they have great service - we were met with someone helping us out right away! Just tell them what you want, and they measure the feet and bring out 5 or 6 pairs of shoes to try! Well, they brought the shoes out and I helped Zach pick out a pair to try first, and those were the ones he fell in love with! Of course, having "tractors" (dump trucks) on them didn't hurt much either!

So since then, Zachary has maybe worn his shoes once because I won't let him wear them in the sandbox or run through the mud in them yet, and of course, he is a creature of habit and really prefers the old ones yet! And Olivia has worn her white sandals every single day since then! The purple ones not so much yet. This morning I woke up and found the brand-new white sandals in the garbage. So I asked her about it, fully expecting that it had been the work of the "very helpful" Madeline, when Livi tells me that she threw them out and that she needs new white sandals because those were "dirty." Looking at them, I think I found a spec of dirt on the sole of one of the shoes...

Maddie got to tag along on the shoe-shopping adventures, but no "new" shoes for her. She gets to wear Olivia's old shoes and sandals for now. Sorry, Maddie, but they're so cute! We just had to "shop" for new shoes in our basement, and luckily I found a pair that fit pretty well. And she really likes them - they're comfortable!