Park...

So before you watch the video I have something to admit. "I'm a bad mom!" This trip to the park was the first in... a lot of months. Hopefully this explains Payton's crazy laugh in the video.

Also she is so much bigger & more independent than the last time we were here so she loves climbing the stairs & sliding down the slides all by herself.

She is getting SO BIG!
My favorite part about her being on the slides is that her hair becomes alive with static!
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One Smart Cookie!

Donald has been a full time student at Cal State LA for about 1 1/2 years. He has been very motivated to graduate to the point of taking 20 to 22 units each semester. The first semester he took on that load I said as long as you are getting good grades you can take as many classes as you want. I just didn't want him to waste his time & have to take a class over again. He's made such good grades that the heavy class load has been no problem at all!

So a couple of weeks ago we found out that Donald made the Dean's List. The school was having an Honors Convocation ceremony so we decided to go. I'm not sure what we were thinking because we didn't think it was that big of a deal. Maybe it was the way in which we were notified, by letter & the fact that when he RSVP'd that the person had no clue what was going on. Before arriving we thought it was going to be a little ceremony & that it wouldn't be a big deal. Well we were wrong!There were a ton of people there! The opening ceremony was long, just over an hour (with another one to follow) & the convocation speaker, who got right into speaking about how California is a state that doesn't care about education & it's time for CHANGE & be an agent of CHANGE, is this a political rally or an Honors Ceremony, wait I'm confused. Please enter & be seated, indoctrination will begin shortly! (And it didn't help that when he was being announced Barack's name was mentioned at least 2 times so maybe I was already a little annoyed & just waiting for the Vote Obama portion of his speech) I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one applauding after EVERY pause, com'mon people how long do you want to be sitting up in the bleachers without seat backs.... also I wasn't the only one not standing after each 'straight from Barack's campaign' statement. Sorry for the tangent! ReFocusing.... I have a smart hubby!
After the so-called Honor's ceremony they had another quick one where they received their certificates. There was a speaker there too & was nothing like the first. It was really good & I'm glad that the night was able to end on that note because I was just a little perturbed after the first speaker.

So the other thing that we didn't realize was what it meant to be on the Dean's List. 'Students named to the Dean's List are undergraduates who earn a grade point average of 3.4 or higher in 12 or more units of traditionally graded course work in one quarter & who rant in the upper 5 percent of students in academic achievement in their college' (College of Business & Economics). Wow upper 5%! I am so proud of him. He has been getting all A's & B's (mostly A's) since we've moved out to California. I didn't know I married such a smarty pants!

I love you Donald & thank you for being such a hard worker!

Waking up happy

Lately Payton has been waking up happy. Before lately this didn't always happen. I have been putting her down asleep in her toddler bed. When she wakes up she comes out with a huge smile on her face. She is so proud of herself for getting herself out of bed when she wakes up.

This particular day she woke up still a little groggy & cute as ever. All the curls on her right side were all against her head...And on the other side was this amazing curl! I can't get over her curls. I have curly hair (but not like Payton), Donald's hair is wavy & Donald's moms hair is curly too. But these perfect ringlet curls are just mind boggling.
And NO PEOPLE I do not curl or perm her hair. What products do I use? Water & detangler. I've been wearing my hair curly lately so that I get less questions about her hair but still it's like the whole 'how old is your son?' (whose wearing a pink shirt & a skirt) sometimes people just don't think.
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It's just as good...

It's just as good as being outside, right? Payton loves to ride her Pooh car in the hallway. In the picture above I asked her to turn around.
I thought that she was getting up to turn the Pooh car around but that wasn't what she thought I meant.
Yes she did what I asked but even she is looking at me like I'm really loosing it.

The last RSV shot....

Yes we have hit a mile marker, maybe not a big one to you but to Payton & I it's huge. For the first 2 years of life children with HLHS have to get shots for RSV during cold & flu season. Payton has been very brave but it is really hard because she recognizes the building, waiting room & is really good up until she sees 'The Nurse' & looses it in a total meltdown. Because of her weight she has to get 2 shots, but at least she gets them at the same time. I hold her, she straddles me & I lean forward so she can't muscle her way out (she off balance & can't get the leverage) & with a nurse on each side it's over quick. I grab my bag & we head out to the main lobby. It doesn't take her long at all to settle down but the hardest part is that she remembers what happened. Lately she has liked to explain what happened.

It makes me tear up when I see her face at the point when her hand goes up to her forehead. And even through it all she still is sweet enough to humor me & smile! I know it's kind of a scary smile but I had to include it anyway. So precious! Maybe it's one of those 'only a mother' moments...
The rest of the day she would 'tell' me about what happened. By the end of the day she was waving Bye Bye to her owey & it was a distant memory.

Look at that cute Peanut butter & jelly faced smile!
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Conference Weekend... Time to finish things up!

I seem to work in spurts when it comes to my crafting. I finished quilting Casey's blanket last week & just had the binding to do. I have tried using the sewing machine to finish it off but it has come out messy so far. I made a table runner for my Grandma & did the binding with my machine & now I have to cut it off & try again (yes it was that bad!).

So what better time to work on the hand sewing part but during conference. I also find that I can remember more if I am doing something else at the same time (no that is not an excuse, it's strange but true!). While finishing it up Ryan decided that what I was doing was really interesting & decided to help.First I showed him that the end was sharp. After that he stopped grabbing at the needle & was very careful.
He was very good & very determined. Above he was pushing the needle thru & was very close to getting his & my hands stuck.
He really didn't require much help from me at all, I was there to make sure he didn't become a permanent part of the blanket.
Now that is a look of accomplishment if there ever was one.
It was really fun showing him & I can't wait till Payton shows interest in something that I'm doing to want to learn. Right now she just likes to be bossy & pull me around to 'enjoy' whatever she's doing! That's just as good... right?
Here is the end result & I love it! I layed it down on the floor & told Ryan "look at all the bugs on Casey's blanket!" He came running over & eyes scanning the whole thing. He was VERY disappointed to find that the bugs were the pattern on the blanket (in the green).
Here's the back.
Below is Casey, the happy recipient. Ryan asked me where his was. I told him that this was Casey's birthday blanket & that when Ryan's birthday comes he'll have a birthday blanket too. I'm not sure if he was trying to explain that Casey's birthday wasn't coming up or if his would be soon & he needed one quickly, but either way there was no misinterpreting that he was ready for his blanket. I've got a couple more that I want to finish before starting his but how could I not reward him for being such a big helper while sewing the binding. His wish is my command.
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Am I setting a bad example?

I am always watching what I'm doing around Payton. She is like a little sponge & since she's not talking yet & still internalizing everything I really have to watch my language. I'm not a potty mouth but there are certain words that I tend to use a lot (like idiot, which I only use while I'm driving but with the caliber of drivers out there I use it a lot) that I don't want her to say. It would be so much easier if she would start to parrot things back because I'm sure there are other words I should use less.

So the other day Donald was watching Payton while I was responding to emails (I hate it when I have vacant apartments!) & she got a hold of Donald's old cell phone & went to go sit on her Pooh Car. Donald then accused me of setting a couple of bad examples;

texting while driving....& talking on the phone while driving.

I have been known to send a text message while driving but only while sitting at a red light. And I do talk while driving but I have an ear piece thing that I use so it's safer right?
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