Nana Cris Strikes Back

Here are a couple pictures from Nana Cris' second visit.

Chase really grew very attached.
So much so that she'd say "bye bye, Mama. Chase play Nana Cris."

Chase still asks me to pick-up Nana Cris at the airport every morning.

Here they are at the park...
































These pictures were taken at a kite-making party...













Ready, set ...



















Go!

Make Mee Mee For Pooh CD

This morning Chase said to Hubs, "Bye Dada, see you tonight. Have fun at work. Make Mee Mee for Pooh CD." Not kidding.

Happenings

Our dog was totally un-manageable a couple days ago. So I took him to the dog park. Within 5 minutes, another dog bit a big chunk of skin out of his side. I'm not kidding. I used to think I should have been a vet, but after seeing my dog without skin, I realized I made the right choice by not becoming a vet.

I took down the information from the woman who owned the dog that was involved in the "incident." She mentioned she was a vet, but I didn't think twice and sped to our vet (someone I trusted). En route, I called them to let them know I was coming; they said they couldn't see him and sent me to 24-hour emergency pet hospital (other side of town).

After about 45 minutes, the ER Vet told me it would cost about $500 (plus the $110 admission fee) to stitch him up. I called the woman whose dog had done the deed and she said, "Are you at Alameda East? I work at Alameda East. Let me speak to the vet you spoke with." And so I handed over the phone. Weird, huh?

The good news? We didn't have to pay a thing. The bad news? Taggart had to get 10 stitches. So he's shaved and while it looks way better, it still looks bad.

New Sizes

Just a quick note that within the next month or so, Chase will be squarely into 4T size clothes and wearing size 8.5 in shoes.

Re-Thinking Education

After being really happy that Chase got into the JCC, we decided to decline the opportunity. We're now thinking a two-day-a-week (morning or afternoon) program would be a better fit for us.

This way, Chase would have a time/place for herself, and we could also continue private Mandarin lessons, and afford a Mother's Helper after number 2 arrives. I've made a commitment to Chase to continue to have one-on-one time with her, while Mother's Helper holds and coos at baby number 2.

We've also decided on four schools for next year (JCC, Children's Garden Montessori, Montview and Denver International School) - which are all, unfortunately, are lottery-based. There is also the possibility that the Denver Public School (Mandarin Immersion Program) will be up and running.

"Honk"

The other day we were sitting on the back porch. Chase went to "honk" Nana Cris' nose - and Nana Cris made a honking sound; then she "honked" mine - and I made a honking sound. Then Nana Cris "honked" Chase's nose - and Chase said "c-h-a-s-e." What a funny sound for a nose to make.

Shalom!

Got the call today. Chase has been offered a position for the fall at the JCC. Yah!

Summer's Half Birthday

On Sunday we celebrated Summer's half birthday.
Summer, Reid and Chase are buddies - spending every Wednesday afternoon together.

At Summer's birthday, Chase found she loved bouncing...













And cupcakes... (this was the first time she had ever been interested - now we're in trouble)













And Reid was, as usual, surrounded by girls...













And here's Summer - the birthday girl!

Chase's New Favorite Game

Is called, "build zoo." My mom bought her a pack of zoo animals and we've been using the blocks my dad made for me when I was a child to build a zoo for them.

One of her dolls acts as "zoo keeper" and stays busy feeding and cleaning up after the animals. The little Einsteins spend their time touring the zoo, looking at all the animals.

Chase has been able to keep herself busy playing zoo for a half hour at a time. Amazing.

Chase

Nana Cris Visit #1

Seeking Mandarin

Okay, so after Chase's Mandarin tutor (1) didn't show on Monday, (2) didn't show on Tuesday and then (3) showed up a half hour late today -- oh, and when I said to Chase, "Your Mandarin tutor is coming today to teach you Chinese," and she said "No! No Chinese." I've never heard Chase so serious about anything before.

I realized it was time to let our new Mandarin tutor go.

And so I did. And she told me that it was good news, because she just got a job in Marketing and they were going to need her to do a lot of work. So we said our goodbyes - it was all very pleasant, and I left the conversation feeling she had just let me go, rather than vice versa.

Sleepy Time

Brian has found he can put Chase to sleep pretty quickly. His secret? Counting animals. Last night I think he counted 340 zebras. The night before, he counted 275 foxes.

Keeping Busy

Our new Mandarin tutor didn't show this morning.

The guys who are going to measure our kitchen for new cabinets will be here later this morning.

Oh, and I received word late last week that three people expecting to pass through Denver - Michele Ruby (a friend from my days working at Trillium in Portland, Oregon), Cathy Lockett (Brian's Aunt) and Whitney Carter (a friend from the 3rd grade). Michele arrived yesterday, as did Cathy - and Whitney arrives this weekend. And there is a chance an old friend from college may swing through in the next two weeks. (Denver is a popular place!) It is SO great to see everyone.

Summer, Chase's friend, celebrates her half birthday is on Sunday - as well as a concert in the Park. Mom arrives back from her road trip next week and stays with us for a couple more days.

And then there's the Fourth of July! And then the second round of swim lessons begin- which, by the way, are a half hour every day, for 4 days/week.

Waitlists

So Chase is on yet another wait list. This one is for the early education center at the Jewish Community Center (I love that place). The early education center offers morning programs for all age groups. The facilities are some of the best I've seen (and I've seen many schools at this point). The community feel is wonderful. And get this - they actually email parents weekly with updates on what the kids learned last week and what they will learn in the coming week. This is EXACTLY the kind of place I wanted to find - the only problem? It isn't Montessori and they don't teach Mandarin.

Oh, and then there's the fact we're on another wait list.

Bless My Mom

Who is upstairs trying to potty train Chase right now.

She also cooked up a fabulous Thai dinner last night - and is planning to help me with our garden. She has done an amazing job of (1) exhausting Chase and (2) exhausting the pooch with one hour walks each day (he's snoozin' right now). Wish she could stay longer!

Doctor Appointment #2

This week we went meet my OBG (whoa, like I actually got to meet with a real, live, baby doctor. In London, you don't meet with an OBG unless something is really wrong. In fact, you can go through your entire pregnancy - and deliver ... like I did ... without meeting with an OBG a single time).

I also had another scan and blood-work done to determine the chances of having a downs baby. Won't know until the results come back, but given the fact the baby has a slightly upturned nose (mine!) we should be in pretty good shape - as downs babies usually have flat noses (knock wood).

Hmmmm, what else? Well, I gained 4 lbs in my first trimester. I have no idea how much I weigh (haven't since I was in college), but a number like 4 lbs, I can handle.

I also found out - get this - that you are encouraged to stay at least one overnight -- if not two. And your husband/daughter and baby can stay with you in the room (wow, sounds like a holiday!)

I am carrying some of the quirk from London with me into this pregnancy - I've elected to bypass the nursery (opting to have the baby with me at all times), and I've also opted out of having the baby bathed in the hospital (in London they advise you not to wash the baby for a week). Yuck, gross, I know you are thinking this, but little baby skin needs time to adjust to the outside air.

Other then that, the baby was measuring a full week ahead - because s/he is tall perhaps? But this means we should actually be expecting the arrival sometime between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

And yes, we will have to create a new blog... So much to do, so little time.

Chase's Take On The Baby

Chase came with us when we had the first exam; so she had a chance to see her little brother/sister at the same time we did. She had a look of excitement and amazement in her eye. She said, "oh mama!" in the same way she says "oh mama" when I buy her "green juice" (w/spirulina) or "pink milk." Like there was nothing more exciting on earth.

On the way home from the doctor, Chase said, "Mama, baby. Dadda no baby. Chase no baby. Taggart no baby. Dagney no baby." And then in conclusion, "Mama baby."

I asked her if she thought it was a girl or boy and she said, in a way that made it perfectly clear, "Mama, baby."

New Years Party

I know it's early, but we've already made plans for ringing in the New Year - we will be welcoming a brand new little bundle of joy, who just so happens to be due on New Year's Eve (at least that's what the doctors say, although my calculations put the scheduled delivery on 29 Dec.)

We won't know girl/boy for another 5/6 weeks - and of course we'd be happy with either.

The first trimester was uneventful (thank goodness). No morning sickness. The only thing really weird was my taste buds went on strike. Everything that wasn't based on white flour/white sugar tasted like dirt or metal.

The difference between having a baby in London and having a baby in Denver is already MASSIVE. Where to start?

1) How about THE DOCTOR ACTUALLY KNOWS MY NAME AND KEEPS MY CHARTS (so I don't have to).

2) The doctor gave me a big bag of pre-natal vitamins (to try) and said if they make you sick, throw them out until you find one that doesn't. (whoa) And when I found one I was happy with, it was (a) prescription strength and (b) had DHA not from fish oil (double whoa). As an aside, I'm not opposed to DHA from fish oil, I just don't trust big brands to clean the oil more than they have to, which means there's still some sketchy stuff in it.

3) The doctors here actually weigh you and keep track of your weight. (good/bad, I don't know)

4) The recovery room appears very luxurious and is, get this, just for one person (not six).

More to come....

School Update

So I called Chase's number 1 school -- the one where we've been wait listed. Chase has moved from 5th, to 2nd place, which means TWO people have to say no in order for her to get the spot.

The only thing we've got going for us is that spot isn't ideal, it's only 2-days per week, from 2:30-4:30, but it would get her in the door, securing her a spot there until she's 6, if we wanted to keep her there that long.

Swim Lessons

Today Chase went under the water!

Update

After reviewing all our options, it appears that the Mandarin immersion school - the one that's hectic, is really our best option, as it would (1) provide Chase with a great chance to learn Chinese, (2) removes the need for a tutor, (3) provides her with a socialization opportunity.

We've talked it over, Hubs and I, and we both feel Mandarin is one of the greatest gifts/skills we can give Chase - and if she takes a year of morning classes, even part time, she will be close to fluent - or at least as fluent as a 3-year-old can be, at which point we transfer her to either (1) the Denver International School - which is closer and a little more established - or (2) maybe DPS will have a Language School by then...

The only problem? She needs to be potty trained by August.

Should I just take the diapers away?

Today I Turned 34

I am almost in a new demographic. Where has the time gone?

Swim Lesson #2

In her second lesson, Chase blew bubbles in the water. She jumped into my arms from the side of the pool. And she got so excited to be in the water she started squirming to be free and I had to explain I couldn't let go just yet...

Mama Needs Toes

For the past month, every time we wake up in the morning Chase starts talking - immediately.

The joy of having language, of actually being understood is far to exciting; she can't keep it to herself. And so, from the minute she awakes, we get to hear everything that we need to do, in her little directive voice.

1) "Mama needs toes" - actually means "Mom, put on clothes."
2) "Dada needs toes" - same thing for Dad, even though he's in bed.

She says these things over and over, pointing to our closets as if to underscore the importance and urgency. What are we waiting for, anyway? We've got a new day ahead of us!

Then it's "Mama needs shoes."
Then it's "Teef" (brush teeth)
Then it's "New diaper"
Then it's "Chase new toes."
Then it's "Downstairs"
Then it's "Booberry pancakes"
Then it's "Read books Mama"
Then it's "Mama's tea"

And then, finally we Go Dogs Go to wherever our morning activity is located.

As a side note, my parents used to tell me that I didn't have to take of them. I wonder if Chase feels like without her help, we might be lost, or miss a vital step in the morning routine that would spell disaster - or if she is simply trying to show me that she knows what's next.

Swim Baby!

Took Chase to her first official swim lesson. She rocked the party. She was the most active child in the group, kicking and splashing and laughing. It was great. Not what I expected.

UGH!

Our Mandarin tutor told me today that she would not be able to come anymore. Chase is going to be heartbroken. She talks about Lili all the time.

We agreed to keep in touch and try to get the kids together - and it's not like I didn't know this was coming - I just thought I'd have a little more notice.

And so now the language clock starts ticking. The worst part, the longer it ticks, the more Chase will forget, so I have to find a solution fast.

Church

Hubs and I see eye-to-eye on many things, but sadly religion is not one of them. He was brought up to BELIEVE, while I was brought up to question everything.

It's not that I don't believe there is something bigger out there; I do. And it's not that I'm not spiritual; I am.

Needless to say, we need to find a way that we can integrate everything and support each other in our own beliefs. And it's not as easy as celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. And no, I'm not Jewish, although I did just join the Jewish Community Center (it's awesome).

So I have gone to many churches since I met Hubs. To support him and also because I must admit I am a little curious about what people get out of it. You see, I believe you don't have to be in one place at one time. I just don't believe it's all so black and white. And I don't believe Jesus is God's only son - don't get me wrong, I'm sure he existed and was a great man, who was clearly motivational and inspirational, but aren't we all God's children? But I think Buddha offers many lessons we can all learn from as well.

And so today we went to the local, Presbyterian Church. The sermon left me untouched (it was given by an intern who talked about himself the entire time). The music, however, moved me to tears. I'm not kidding, it was so beautiful. There was a guest singer from the Colorado Opera, and it was amazing - it was the way Church music was meant to be heard. I had chills. For five minutes, it felt like we were in England hundreds of years ago.

If I could be that moved every time I went to Church, I'd go every day.

What's Next

We've spent the last couple days getting back into the Denver groove. Re-stocking the kitchen, trying to re-establish bed time routines, catching up on must-see TV. (Can you even believe how they ended LOST and Desperate Housewives?)

For the first time in five years, we don't have any travel plans for the foreseeable future - except to try to get out to Maryland to see my grandparents. We've talked about spending a little time touring America (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Santa Fe), and maybe doing a little car camping with Chase this Summer. But mostly we're talking about work on the house and the yard. The kitchen desperately needs to get done. Plus there is much painting I'd like to do.

I finally found a good swim program for Chase (at the Jewish Community Center, which by the way is like Club Med). If we're lucky she will also get to do a little dance program there called twinkle toes. And yes, even though we aren't Jewish, we can still take classes there.

I am uber frustrated with the school situation - the Denver International School (the one that is super close) is starting a early immersion program this fall, which takes 3-year-olds. Problem 1: Chase misses the age cut off by 3 months. Problem 2: They only have 3 spots (all of which are filled) for part time. The other Chinese school is so far away - and so disorganized. So if we want to have her attend in Fall 09, we need to get the application in asap (but this still doesn't guarantee anything). Plus, the Denver Public School system may open a Mandarin immersion program nearby, so I'm on the fence about DIS. We're currently on a wait list for the Children's Garden Montessori (but won't know until December) and the Waldorf School has a massive wait list as well (for the younger grades - the only grades I'm interested in). UGH. Why is this so hard?

Other than that, I have big plans for home-made sorbet this Summer. I also need to figure out how to cook real Thai food, because the Thai food in Denver is awful.

Virgin Gorda

As we could not make it to Virgin Gorda in one day, we spent the night in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

We packed a cooler full of food for the trip. We awoke hoping our food was still cold (neither of us actually wanted to open the cooler for fear the cold air would escape) - or perhaps most importantly, that Chase's yogurt tubes were still frozen...




















And then we boarded a small plane...
































And an hour later, arrived at last...














Our friend, Jeff, picked us up at the airport.

Our first stop was the house (Jemstone), to catch up with Victoria (who looks like a super model) and the kids (Jack & Olivia).



























Over the next eight days, we spent most of our time between the beach and the house.

(Here's my super model friend)













Chase loved the beach...
































And when we weren't at the beach, she loved playing at the house.
Here are Olivia and Jack...
































Chase overcame her fear of water...













Hubs read books...













And Chase learned to love the sand...



















And we went to Mad Dogs ... several times ...







































































































On our last day we went for brunch at Little Dix (a Rockefeller resort).
The grounds are amazing; the beach was beautiful...














































Sure going to miss this island...


























And the next morning we bid farewell to Virgin Gorda ...

Back In Town

Back from a most relaxing trip to Virgin Gorda, one of the British Virgin Islands. I think I slept more in the past 10 days, then the last two years. It was marvelous. Pictures to come.

R&R

We're heading out of town for a little R&R with old friends. Back on 27 May.

Lovely Little Lady

Mandarin School

Today, I went to visit the school that provides 2.5 year-olds with a full Mandarin immersion class. I went in hoping for the best, but I have to say I found it all a little make-shift and a bit chaotic.

The school seemed a little less established than I had hoped it would be - and Chase would be the very youngest in the class - the oldest being about 5 years-old, which kind of concerns me, only because it seems that the older kids would probably be more verbal and proactive, and I'm afraid Chase might get lost in it all. But I could be wrong. There is always the chance that she could learn a lot from the older kids.

I had a good chat with the school admissions woman, who also doubles as the English teacher. She indicated that by 4th grade, children are proficient - they can write and speak Chinese with ease. At 4th grade level they also offer kids an opportunity to add a third language. SO COOL.

Jury is out. Not sure what the verdict will be.

Down South

So Animoto has changed their format; they won't allow me to download shorts anymore. So here is the latest video link - hope y'all can reach it.

http://animoto.com/play/6wyAOLAGvX0hRgPNDlR0KA

Still Trying To Get Back On Track

Not much from me this week; it has been really tough getting Chase back on schedule. She has at least decided to sleep in until 5:45/6 a.m., but has decided against naps - falling into a hard slumber at about 7:30 p.m. While I like the early to bed, I'm not so fond of the early to rise part.

This morning we went and saw two new babies, born to two friends I met the first month we arrived here (have we really been here long enough to know someone through an entire pregnancy?) Both were sweet, darling and so chilled out. I couldn't believe it.

I don't remember getting any time "off" when Chase was little. I just remember the feeling like I was going, going, going the whole time. Of course, I feel like we've always been going, going. It would be nice to slow down, just for a year or so, to catch our breath - and then go explore the world again (when she's old enough to entertain her jet lagged self in the middle of the night).

5:30 a.m.

The thing I dislike about traveling with a tot isn't the part where I have to come up with 150 things to do with a barf bag (in one hour-oh, and there are still 4 hours left), it's what it takes to get her back on schedule. This morning she was up at 5:30 a.m. Ready to start the "new" day. Looking at me like I was crazy - and why was I was having such a hard time keeping my eyes open? Like it wasn't the third day in a row (it was).

And so as we get ready for our next trip (to Virgin Gorda), which happens in a week and a half (convenient that she will just have found her schedule again), I have my fingers crossed that the break will allow us to actually-get-some-rest.

CPSC

I signed-up for free recall news, courtesy of the CPSC. Did you know they issue a new recall EVERY DAY?

Chinese

I found a school, cross fingers, that could be a great fit for Chase. It's only three days a week, a couple hours a day - and offers full Chinese immersion. Plus, they'll take Chase when she is 2.5 years old, which coincides with when Lili, our fabulous tutor, is slated to have her baby. I'm VERY happy.

Dance, Baby, Dance

Today I took Chase to a trial ballet/tap class.

They let us borrow a pair of tap and ballet shoes (but she wouldn't put them on). There were little girls in tutus everywhere. One girl had glitter in her hair. Some were doing twirls in the waiting room. Others were tapping their toes. It was all super duper girlie cute.

I didn't know I was going to have to leave her there - alone. Okay, not really alone. She was with the rest of the kids and the instructor.

She cried when I left and it just made me want to grab her up from the teacher and run away with her. But instead I stayed strong, thinking - if she can get through this class, I might just have one hour to myself. WHOA.

There was a place where I could peak in to see her. The instructor carried her for the first 10 minutes. Ten minutes later, she was standing at the bar with the other girls. Tapping her toes. And so I went to get a coffee.

The hour passed pretty quickly, and when I returned (10 minutes before class was out) she still seemed to be hanging in there. When the doors opened and she (and the rest of the class) was allowed out of the studio, her bottom lip was quivering (poor darling). But she held it together. She showed me two stamps she received - one was for tap, the other was for ballet.

She pointed to the door and said, "go dogs go." But later, when we were in the car and I asked her, did you like dance class? She said, "yes." And I said, "do you want to go back?" And she said, "Yes."

Too Funny!

Thanks, Elaina!


FOLLOW THESE 14 SIMPLE TESTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN.


Test 1 Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-

1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.

2. Leave it there.

3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.


Men: To prepare for children:-

1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself

2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.


Test 2 Knowledge

Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour.

Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.


Test 3 Nights

To discover how the nights will feel:

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing really loudly.

2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.

4. Set the alarm for 3am.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.

6. Go to bed at 2.45am.

7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.

9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.

10. Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.


Test 4 Dressing Small Children

1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.


Test 5 Cars

1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.

2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.

3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.

4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.

5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.


Test 6 Going For a Walk

Wait
Go out the front door
Come back in again
Go out
Come back in again
Go out again
Walk down the front path
Walk back up it
Walk down it again
Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
Retrace your steps
Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
Give up and go back into the house.

You are now ready to try taking a small child for a walk.


Test 7

Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.


Test 8 Grocery Shopping

1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.

2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.

3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Until you can easily accomplish this, do not contemplate having children.


Test 9 Feeding a 1 year-old

1. Hollow out a melon

2. Make a small hole in the side

3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side

4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.

5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.

6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot falls on the floor.


Test 10 TV

1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.

2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.


Test 11 Mess

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains

2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon.

4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor & leave it there.


Test 12 Long Trips with Toddlers

1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.

2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.

You are now ready to try taking a long trip with a toddler.


Test 13 Conversations

1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.

2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.

You are now ready to try having a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.


Test 14 Getting ready for work

1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.

2. Put on your finest work attire.

3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it

4. Stir

5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt

6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture

7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel

8. Do not change (you have no time).

9. Go directly to work

Catch Up: Steamboat

Catch Up: Grandpa Mark & Fern

Catch-Up: Chase's 2nd Birthday

Catch Up: Pics From Budapest

Take That, You Bully

So the bully didn't show today.

The soccer coach was there to help out.
And I have to say, Chase really loved it.
She was out there kicking freely, without fear of being knocked over from behind.

After soccer, we went to a new coffee shop.
Perk & Play in Stapleton. http://www.pandpcoffee.com/

It was amazing. There were SO many toys there.
Chase self-entertained for 1.5 hours. AMAZING.
We're going back tomorrow. This time, I'm taking Hubs.

The rest of the day was a little on the "ho-hum" side.
But we did have date night! Superb.

Oh, and Chase ended up with a big raised hive on her left bum.
I called the pediatrician and he approved giving her a Benadryl.
I checked it again before she went to bed and it was gone - fabu!

The Rest Of The Day

So we went to the dog park, where the wind was so wild that we could only stay a little while, which was still long enough to be able to have the sand from the park find its way into our eyes, nose, and teeth. From there, we headed home and Chase played in the back yard.

The highlight of the day? When Chase emptied three puzzles into one pile and then set to work putting them back together. Very cool, my girl!

My Day

So for all those people that think that being a stay-at-home mom is so glam, I'd like to share my day (thus far) with you.

First of all I'm sick at the moment (or is it allergies?)

6:30 a.m. - Awake

7:00 a.m. - Morning rituals (brushing hair & teeth, changing clothes - which has become a bit of a traumatic thing, Chase doesn't like to take her PJs off anymore). Sitting on the potty, which hasn't led to anything in two days.

8:00 a.m. - Making Chase breakfast, quick chat with Hubs before he goes to work

8:30 a.m. - Dog pukes everywhere. Three times.

9:00 a.m. - Make some media calls for my client.

9:15 a.m. - Make some lemon bars for our housekeeper.

9:30 a.m. - Huge diaper. Prepare snacks/diaper bag.

9:45 a.m. - We're in the car and she can't decide what she wants to listen to. Every time I put something in the stereo that she likes, she says, "Mama, no!" So I turn it off. And she gets really upset. And I ask her if she wants to go to the zoo. And she says, "no" and then I look at her and she whispers, "yes."

10:00 a.m. - Arrive at the zoo, only to find all parking places are taken and I have to park in the intestines of the garage. Carry Chase to the zoo. We spend the first half hour quite close to the entrance, as Chase loves to things over and over again. Like walk on curbs. Or run down ramps. Or climb stairs. Or slide her hand all-the-way-along-a-rail-until-she-runs-out-of-room.
And now she's gotten to the point where she'll say, "Mama, No!" and push me to where she wants me to stand. And then continue her routine.

12:00 p.m. - We finally leave the zoo. And Chase is SO sad. And the sun is burning - it's 82 degrees today. And yes, it is supposed to snow tomorrow.

12:20 p.m. - We're home and Chase won't eat any part of lunch that I prepared for her. Nor will she sit down and read books (which usually results in a nap). Instead, she is fixated on bubbles - so out we go, into the back yard, with Taggart, to blow bubbles. And Taggart is barking, so I let him into the main part of the yard, and then he works at digging up my vegetable garden.

12:30 p.m. - I have basically given up on Chase taking a nap. Or eating lunch. She plays outside, while I watch her through the screen door.

1:00 p.m. - ENORMOUS explosion in her diaper. So big I decide to just throw her pants away, rather than salvage them. But in taking them off, it just gets everywhere.

1:30 p.m. - Finally clean and now asking over and over for new pants. new pants. new pants. new pants. new pants. new pants. "Yes, yes," I say, "new pants." By re-stating her words, I hope she will understand I hear her.

1:35 p.m. - We sit down to read a book. "Soy, mama, soy, mama." So off I go to get soy. And then we read.

1:40 p.m. - Chase falls asleep.

1:50 p.m. - Housekeeper arrives.

1:55 p.m. - I pick up around the house like a crazy woman. And hope Chase will nap until at least 2:30 p.m.

And that's been my day so far. I don't know how women with children find the time to (1) work, (2) have friends, (3) get nails done, (4) get hair cut - etc. I'm in shorts and I desperately need to shave my legs. Ah well.

Bullies - Next Steps

So I had a little chitty-chat with our soccer coach. She said, "I know exactly who and what you are talking about," before I could say two words. Apparently, Amber has exhibited the same behavior in another class. The coach told me this was the first time she had ever interacted with other kids. (WHOA!)

So the coach is going to come to the class next Friday and "monitor" the situation. Stay tuned.

Bullies

There is this little girl named Amber. Yes, I'm using her real name. I'm not about to "protect" her identity. I would poster her face all over Stapleton if I could. She is a real bully. It's hard for me to stay calm, cool and collected when I see her near Chase. And yes, she is two-years-old.

Her mom corrects her (a little), saying things like "oh Amber, that's not nice." But she has already pushed Chase twice (from behind) and and today, she hit her with a metal stacking pin (by mistake?) and took a soccer ball from her, ran in front of her when Chase was about to kick the ball (I know this sounds little, but something like this happens EVERY FRIDAY - and she usually targets Chase, probably because Chase just doesn't even flinch and doesn't give her the time of day). Her mom finally got a clue and removed her from the team early.

But before she did, I almost said to Amber, "If you keep this up, you are never, ever going to have any friends. No one is going to ever like you." A little harsh? Perhaps. But it is true. And then I wanted to say to the mom, "I can't believe you allow her to behave like this. What kind of mom are you?"

But then I remembered that I have a couple friends, who have kids that act out and no matter what they try the kids don't seem to respond. So maybe it isn't the mom's fault. I mean I have to give her credit for removing Amber today.

So I did a little research and came up with the following information (from babycenter.com), that I thought was good advice.

- 0 -

I know at 22 months, that is still too young for your child to verbalize. At this age, however, I would not hesitate to start saying things like "Let's choose to not play with "Johnny" right now because Johnny is biting." Then re-direct, re-direct, and re-direct. I believe as parents, each incident at the playground can provide teachable moments. For preschoolers, if I witness a bullying situation, I would come alongside my child and model for him and say to the bully something like "Because you are not playing nice, I choose not to play with you until you start sharing, (stop biting), (stop scratching), etc." and then immediately turn and walk away from the bully. I believe this teaches your child, that he is not the problem here, but it is the bully's problem. This will also teach the bully that his behavior is not desirable and will result in loss of friendship. I would also explain to my child that if the bully changes and wants to be his friend, then it would be wise to give that bully another chance. I believe it is good to teach our children that they do not need to "take mistreatings" from anyone...that hey can always choose the type of friends that "makes good choices".

Ye, Er, San

Yesterday I overheard Chase counting to herself in Chinese in the playground.

pee pee in the potty!

enough said.

Riddle Me This

Today at dinner, Chase was working on a puzzle - the one my dad made for her that has a picture of us eating raspberries in his backyard. She LOVES it. She can do it all by herself. It's wild.

So anyway, we took it apart (again) and she took the corner piece and lined it up, and then twisted it one rotation, and looked up at Hubs with a devilish grin. He said, "nope, not that way, try again." And so she turned it another rotation (same direction) and looked at him again, with a twinkle in her eye. "Nope, try again," said Hubs. And she did it again - and for those keeping track, that means that the next time she turned it, it would line up properly. But instead, she turned it back the other way - giving Hubs a cheeky grin.

More Read Book Peas

Today in Chase's room we were reading books. Actually, I was planning to read three books to Chase (we read a series of about six books three times per day). Instead, she proceeded to stack more and more books onto her lap, saying "more read book peas," after each one. After she stacked about 15 books on her lap, she realized she couldn't get up, so she looked at me and said, "hep peas mama."

Me Home

Today we were working on Chase's alphabet puzzle. I picked up the letter "H," which covers a picture of a house. I said, "H" for house. And Chase looked up at me and said, "Me Home," and gestured at her room, her eyes wide with excitement. I almost fell over.

Recession

And here's a thought on the recession...

Maybe it's because I work in media, but I can't help but think that we aren't doing ourselves any favors by covering the recession every-single-day. All I hear is how bad everything is. How bad the numbers are. How many people are being forced to sell their homes. Yada, yada.

Has anyone thought that maybe, just maybe, we're creating a recession by encouraging people NOT to spend their money? I'm not saying it would go away if reporters stopped covering it, and I'm not saying it's a good idea to cover it up, I just wonder what the psychological impact is on the masses when the media replay gloom and doom stories. What if the media spent a month covering stories of hope, stories of people taking control of their lives and changing them for the better, overcoming odds, etc.

I'm thinking it would bring people hope and happiness - in a time where there is so much worry and concern for the future of our country.

No, Not Me.

It can't be true. Am I really becoming one of "those" bloggers. The kind that says, "oh yah, I have a blog," but only update it once a month? I hope not.

So here's the scoop. No pictures for ages because Hubs has this mega super computer that now stores all our photos - and I used to be able to know how to use it, but then he purchased (yet another) remote control (because we need one for every device). I'm quite sure he'd buy a remote for the shower, the blender and the toaster if they were available. Anyhoo, until I can unlock the truth from within the remote, my blog will continue to lack our latest pictures.

The past month has been filled with a slew of visitors, birthdays (Hubs and Chase, as well as others), and making changes here and there around the house. I have color chips on all the walls (our neighbor has been kind enough to volunteer to help me paint away the buttercup yellow downstairs). I'll tackle the upstairs on my own.

We had 8 yards of dirt delivered. Hubs did a wondrous job of moving it from the front of the house to the back. I have officially planted wildflowers along the boarders and a full vegetable garden (hurray!). I have also planted bulbs out front - I'm SO excited to see how the garden will unfold.

We have also figured out what to do about our kitchen! And we have scheduled the roofers to come out in August.

As for my darling Chase, she is doing very well. I think she may be a bit behind in vocabulary development, but she's making up for it in her puzzle work. We don't even have to help her with her 12-piece puzzles anymore. I need to find something that's a little more challenging for her...

She is also singing up a storm. Not exactly using the right words, but still singing.

She is terrified of the potty. Two of her friends (one older and one younger) are already using it and she just can't seem to make it work for her.

She still loves anything that has to do with travel and the world. We received some world music as a gift for her birthday and she absolutely MUST listen to it every time we're in the car. She also loves a book called "Gigi and Zachary's Around The World Adventure," globes, maps and her child Atlas.

She's still surviving on about a gallon of yogurt a day (no exaggeration), fortified pasta, fruit and corn. She's anti-green-veggie at the moment.

As for Hubs, he's racing around a race track at the moment - at driving school (the kind of driving school where they encourage you to drive fast, not the kind where they send you if you have too many tickets).

And I am settling into Denver now, more than ever. With the sun coming out every day and temperatures in the mid-60s, I can't complain.

I have fallen into cahoots with a marketing gal who is pushing clients in my direction. I did some high-level consulting for the Colfax Marathon (Denver's marathon) and for a baby-planner, who offers families support as they prepare for a child. I'm super close to getting my own gig off the ground, but I am still stumped on a name for my biz. It's driving me nuts. I'll disclose more when I'm closer.

So that's it in a nutshell....

Bye To Grandpa Mark & Fern

And so I dropped my Dad and Fern at the airport this afternoon. I so hated to say goodbye, it was really nice having them in town.

I also have to give them a huge THANKS for all the work they did in our yard. We put them to work yesterday and by the end of the day all our plants were pruned (Thanks Fern!), the (old green rusty) laundry poles were gone (Thanks Dad & Hubs!) and now we have a new watering system - and bed for growing veggies. We're so excited - okay, I am so excited.

Next step? Soil delivery. VERY exciting. And then we order up plants, get them into the ground and sit back and watch our backyard become our own little oasis.

So what comes after our garden transformation? A new roof and new kitchen.

Lots of stuff in the works! Stay tuned...

Best Toy Web Site

http://www.educationaltoysplanet.com

Mo Twah Booberry Yoyo Peas

Chase is talking up a storm these days - and she is constantly coming up with new sentences. Her latest? "Mo Twoh Booberry Yoyo Peas." This means, "more cold blueberry yogurt please."

She is getting too good at hide and seek. Maybe that's because there are only so many places to hide downstairs.

And she has fallen in love with puzzles. She can almost complete a 12-piece puzzle by herself, but she still needs hints like, "I think you might be looking for the dog eyes," or "maybe you want the pig's feet."

I finally got her to kick the habit of listening to the Little Einsteins in the car (it was driving me batty!) - she was gifted a "World Playground" CD, which is SO fabulous. It has children's songs from around the world on it - and they don't make you want to hit your head against the wall.

And I am still trying to figure out this whole school thing. Where to send her. When. Yada yada, yada. Now I'm thinking about investigating the Spanish Montessori immersion school they have here. Could be interesting.

Dad and Fern are out visiting - it's so nice to see them! They spent today skiing at Veil. Tomorrow they're helping us do some landscaping - I'm so excited! Huge thanks to them for coming all this way and helping us get our home ship shape.

Updates

Steamboat was amazing. Hubs and I decided to pony-up and pay for a sitter for Chase so that I could go snow-shoeing with Renee. We did the actual snow-shoeing in Catamount, just about 10 minutes outside of Steamboat. It was amazing. I love it there - and it was so fabulous to catch up with our friends from London.

I tend to buy new things for Chase when we travel. To keep her busy. This time around, the runaway hit was a wooden train set. Chase played with it continuously. At one point, we looked over and she was actually re-laying the tracks, taking them apart and then putting them back together so the train could go in a different direction.

Chase's actual birthday was filled with lots of presents, a trip to the zoo, a ride in the zoo train (she LOVED it), and a ride on the carousal (she refused to actually ride on any animals and clung to me with all her might).

She also had her 2-year check-up. The one thing that I keep coming back to, which I didn't mention before, is that I told the doctor about her fear of water, but instead of saying, "oh that's normal," or "try this, try that," he told me to go buy an herbal remedy called "rescue remedy" and basically dope her before bath time to take the edge off. Yah, I don't think so. Instead, I sit in the tub and bath all the Einsteins before bathing Chase. I'm sure this too, shall pass.

Her birthday bowling bash is tomorrow. Should be interesting. We're expecting 10 kids total. Who knows how many adults. If everyone shows that's about 30 people. Good thing it's not at our house. Strange thing is I'm a little stressed about it. Given I have coordinated black tie gala events for 100s of people, I keep thinking of things I should be doing, but then I say, "self, you've got to relax, she is just turning 2."

Soccer, meanwhile, is going fabulously. Chase scored three goals today. Okay, so the ball wasn't moving before she kicked it. And it was set just outside the goal (hard to miss).

She is linking three words. She made our dinner last night (manacotti and salad). She took off her clothes (almost all by herself) and put them in the dirty clothes basket.

In honor of her 2-year birthday, I relocated pots and pans to provide her with her own cabinet in the kitchen, complete with dishes, bowls, cups, napkins and utensils. She loves it.

She also LOVES puzzles. We have a wooden, 12-piece, farm puzzle that she can almost put together on her own (clever girl). Hubs was wowed because she was actually looking for each specific piece.

She still adores the Einsteins, although Clifford is moving into the spotlight more and more. Curious George is like an old buddy, as is Elmo.

In other news, Chase was wait-listed (DRAT) at Children's Garden Montessori. She's number 5. I don't know what that means, or how good/bad our chances are... but I'm thinking it might be time to try to figure out something else.

Chase's 2-Year Check-Up

Just returned from her 2-year check up. She has dropped in weight from 60th percentile to 40th percentile. She has grown (of course) and is now up to 95th percentile for length (compared to 90th percentile), and her head cir. is 75th percentile (basically in line with where it has always been). The doctor was not worried about the weight drop.

We discussed her all-day-buffet eating, and he said there are three types of eaters, and all-day-buffet is one, so not to worry. The biggest challenge is to make sure that each time they eat - that each meal represents one food group. Which I haven't been doing - and certainly makes sense.

She has achieved (and surpassed) her 2-year milestones. She had her second Hep-A, which means she's good to go!

The only thing that the doctor indicated a little concern about? Her sleep pattern. At this age, kids should still be napping at least once a day at a regular time, and going to sleep at roughly the same time (give or take a half hour), and sleeping through the night. He said he wasn't concerned that she wasn't getting enough, he was more concerned that as care givers an erratic sleep schedule can be exhausting. The only remedy is to stay in one place and establish a pattern. Hmmm, doesn't sound likely seeing as how we have travel plans for April and May.

The good news, I guess, is that there are no major time zone changes.

Long Time, No Post

Okay, so it isn't like I've had nothing to say. I have. I just haven't had the time.

We spent the week following our trip to Europe getting over colds. All of us had one. We were miserable and no fun to be around. We were going to bed at 8:00 p.m. every night, if we could stay up that late.

Then daylight savings happened. And Chase's sleep schedule is SO messed-up, she didn't fall asleep until around 9:00 p.m. last night, not that we would know, we were both zonked out on either side of her. We woke up at 11:00 - she was fast asleep, nestled between us.

So what else? Well, Chase is gorgeous as always. Pictures from Budapest still to come (when I actually have a few minutes).

Perhaps the biggest hurdle we are facing at the moment is that Chase is terrified of water. It just happened. She hates the bathtub. I took her to the swimming pool yesterday (yes, I got into a bathing suit), and she screamed "no, no, no" the entire time. We spent 15 minutes there and then decided it was not worth the drama - or the trauma.

Today I ventured to the gym, for the first time in TWO years. It was fabulous. I ran for 15 minutes and felt pretty good about myself, because it was (1) the first time in two years, (2) at high altitude and (3) the first time in two years. Oh and it was the first time in two years. And then I went to collect Chase from the childcare facility, only to find her sobbing so hard she couldn't breath. And the childcare guy wasn't even paying attention to her. I wanted to grab him by his 24-hour fitness polo shirt and scream at him "why didn't you page me?" But instead I asked him the question in a calm, yet terse voice. He said, "oh, she'd cry and then stop and then cry and then stop." O-MY-GOSH-MAN. So we're never going back. Even if Chase is unhappy, she never screams like that.

So now it's back to trying to figure out how to get exercise - with her. Maybe we should just make monthly trips to Budapest.

"Mommy, YAY!" "Daddy, YAY!"

Possibly the cutest thing ever. Chase has started adding "YAY" to words she really likes. And we are lucky enough that mommy and daddy are on that list.

On that note, she is doing a lot more talking these days. Naming everything she sees. I have to remind myself that she doesn't want everything she names, that she is simply naming items to show me how much she knows.

And speaking of our little know it all, while we were in Budapest Chase counted to 10. Yes, that's right. I'm not kidding. She was just counting rocks - and adding the number to each. It was UN-BELIEVABLE.

She also loves singing to herself - and to others. She was singing to Taggart this morning. Super, uber-doober cute.

For The Love Of Travel

So we've finally "settled" back in to Denver. Pictures from our trip will be posted soon.

I have to say this trip to Europe was easily the most difficult trip we've made to date. Why? I think it was because Chase is nearly two. This means she (1) actually realizes she has feelings and wants to do things a certain way, (2) likes to walk in the opposite direction of where we need to go, (3) likes to snack all the time, and (4) is getting way too heavy to carry all-day-long.

We thought we had it all figured out. We have a hip carrier that we carefully placed in the car. And then left it in the car once we got to the airport. By mistake. Or should I say, BIG mistake. We tried to buy a stroller for Chase on three different occasions - and each time Chase shook her head, "no," and arched her back when we tried to place her in it. Hubs even tried not so subliminal methods to influencer her, "see?" he'd say to her (arms burning). "That baby is very happy in his stroller. And look, he can even play with toys and read a book while he's in it." Hubs must have pointed out every stroller he saw on DAY 3. Miss Chase was still adamant she would NOT NOT NOT be one of those happy babies. She was quite happy, thank you very much, being so close to us.

So that aside, she was really an amazing little traveler. Oh, and besides the fact she did not sleep through a single night (and got up the first four to color, read, play), she really did very well. Her parents, on the other hand, were so b-l-e-e-p-i-n-g tired by the end of it, we could barely talk to each other without getting snippy. It didn't help we were both sick out of our heads on the last day and couldn't even hear each other - and couldn't talk any louder because our throats hurt.

But seriously, it was good be out and about again. I found myself with a renewed level of appreciation for our home, our life.

I found there were things I really didn't miss: (1) city air, (2) city playgrounds, (3) rough toilet paper, (4) check out people at the grocery store who are mean, (5) buying things I think are one thing and then finding they are something else (in Budapest I kept meaning to buy yogurt, but ended up with sour cream, quark and something in between. I also wanted to buy milk, but somehow ended up with chocolate milk, cheese that was too strong for Chase to eat, an unidentifiable meat product cut in to slices and sparking water when I wanted still).

But on the bright side of it all, Budapest was really lovely. The weather was warm, the sky was blue. I would, however, compare Budapest to a tired old lady, who used to be exceptionally beautiful, but now has lots of scars. The buildings that were once grand and falling apart. There is little in the way of color (I recall Prague's buildings were all gorgeous terracotta, greens, pale yellows, creams). The streets are larger and straighter (as compared to Prague's winding, cobblestones). Budapest was bigger (sort like how Seattle is to Portland). And there wasn't much in the way of a local art scene (Prague was filled with galleries).

But there was great food (goulash, stuffed cabbage, strudel). And most likely a great night life - although Hubs and I were back at the hotel by 8:30 p.m. each night. If one was young and hip, and without a toddler in tow, one might really enjoy it there.

We were really lucky in the hotel we selected (Hotel Starlight). It was inexpensive and clean. The room was large and had a living room, bedroom and large bathroom. The location couldn't be beat, and there was a playground right down the street that Chase loved. The only down side was that there wasn't a kitchen in the hotel, so we had to fly by the seat of our pants when it came to feeding Chase.

Lessons learned on this trip? We are definitely not doing any "city breaks" again anytime soon. I think from here on out we're going to be resort-bound --- at least for a little while.

Friends

What a whirlwind adventure our trip to Europe was - we arrived at 6 a.m. on Saturday, after a 10 hour flight, had breakie with our friends the Suni-Andersons, showered and headed out to a pub-"D0." Unfortunately, we were utterly exhausted and forgot our camera, but our friends Isaac and Elaina captured some great shots of Chase with her two friends, Felix and Callia.

Felix, it is worth noting, was born exactly a month before Chase and her mom, Emma (pictured), was one of the people I spent the most time with in the last couple months before Chase was born. We grumbled to each other when our husbands got tired of listening to the aches and pains that come with the third trimester.

It was amazing to see Felix - he was soooo grown up and so handsome. Callia was a beauty as well. Elaina, bless her, made the trip out with Callia and the newest member of their family - her two week old daughter (thank you)!

I do hope all the kiddos can all keep in touch in the years to come.

Oh, and pay no attention to Chase's hair. It was utterly unkempt. The entire time. Both because she refuses to bathe (grubby girl) and because we found ourselves in an environment where there was actually moisture in the air (in Denver, her hair is flat, flat, flat).

Whatever It Is YOU Do

I have been really bad at updates. I know. I have been even worse at taking pictures.

So let's see, what has happened since my last update?

• Chase had a full blown tantrum in Target (read: screaming, arching back, kicking, rolling around on the floor), because she didn't want to wear her shoes. Oh, and it was lunch time and she was hungry and tired. Yah, note to self.

• We enrolled her in a tiny tot soccer program. She even has a uniform. She starts in March.
  

• Chase's Mandarin is coming along. She loves her tutor. Her pronunciation is improving.
  

• We're heading to London next week with plans to spend a couple days in Budapest to celebrate Chase's second birthday. (wow, has it really been two years?)
  

• NeeNee KarKar and Poppa Joe have been out visiting - it has been wonderful! Pictures to come.
  

A little story from yesterday - so Karla (Hub's mom) and I are in the fabric store looking for curtain material. We found a beautiful green silk (so yummy). And the lady behind the counter, who had quite the approach to life, laid into me here and there because I don't really "get" sewing. Like, I'm trying to learn, okay? So at the end of our time there, she said to me, in a sardonic tone, "well honey, I'm sure that whatever it is YOU do, you're very good at it."

Zoo Fundraiser

I have talked a local coffee shop in to hosting a fundraiser.

Chase has painted 6 pieces of art, each will be sold for $10.00 - and all proceeds will be donated to the Denver Zoo's Red Apple Fund, a fund that helps children who can't afford the zoo with an opportunity to visit the zoo.

Our goal is to sell each of the following pieces before the show (which is slated for March).

So family members, please let me know which piece to reserve for you. I will mail them to you following her show - so you will receive them in April. Please send checks or cash to Chase Allbritton. All donations are welcome.

Canvases are 6" x 8" - mixed media (acrylic paint with glitter pen) - so without further ado:

"Monkey House"














"Giraffe" (SOLD) - Thanks to Aunt Michelle!














"Hippo" (SOLD) - I'm keeping one!














"Cheetah" (SOLD!) Thanks Joe & Karla!














"Polar Bear" (SOLD!) - Thanks, Dad!














"Elephant" - (SOLD) Thanks, Mom!

Doll House