School Pics

I just sent Athena off to school all dressed up for her school pictures but I forgot to take a "preview" photo so I guess we'll just have to wait for the final result. But that reminded me that I have been meaning to post these photos from the girls' other school.

This is our current schedule, three days a week Athena goes to her new preschool and two days a week, Zoe and Athena go to a play school together. This is the school that Zoe went to last year which closed down and then reopened under new management. It's a parent CoOp, so I'm also there half the time, and it's the exact opposite from Athena's other school.

The play school is extremely free-spirited, totally wild and they believe in getting dirty, digging your hands in kind of experiences. I love it and I love that Athena has the balance of structure, learning and schedule at one school and play, freedom and fun at the other. Whereas Zoe, who doesn't like to be left at any school, gets to be in a school environment with me and Athena close by.

Each class has two teachers and three parents volunteers on any given day which means a ratio of 5 to 1. Chris thinks its a bunch of crazy, overly involved parents playing school, but I enjoy the camaraderie and seeing the girls interact with their friends in a school setting. Chris' criticism is valid because it did close down last year due to infighting and unnecessary drama. But it seems to be a much more stable governance now, and the girls and I love it, so we're giving it another chance.

One other very special thing about this school is that Zoe's teacher loves to take photos of the kids at play. She then posts them to a Shutterfly account almost immediately. So the days I'm not there, I can log on and see pictures of what Zoe did that day.

Here's some of my favorites of Zoe at play, all taken by Zoe's teacher:

Checking out a fuzzy spider with one of the visiting Dads.

Getting ice cream from the ice cream stand they set up.
Playing in the play car.
Catching leaves.
Caught it!
Getting a hug from her buddy, Calais (pronounced "cal-A")
Running!
Swinging!
Painting!

Wordless Wednesday

The Doctor Over the Mountains

Yesterday Zoe and I took a day trip over the mountains to see the Director of Craniofacial Surgery at the Children's Hospital and talk about her future surgical needs and ongoing care. We've been waiting all summer to do this and finally the day was here.

I obviously wasn't thinking when I booked the appointment for 9am. Children's Hospital is in downtown L.A. which means battling the morning rush hour traffic and a pre-dawn wake up call for us. So around 5:45 a.m. I crammed a still sleeping Zoe into jeans and a tee-shirt and poured her into her carseat. She woke up with the sun rising over the mountains and glaring into her eyes. To escape it she put her woobie over her head and soon dozed off again, missing the bulk of the stop and go morning traffic.

It took us three hours to get there but we made it on time only to wait in the waiting room for over an hour. The Children's Hospital is a lovely place though and each waiting room has its own theme and play equipment. We were in the underwater room which had a huge fish tank and a play house shaped to look like a sandcastle, so Zoe was kept very occupied.

The doctor we were seeing is a very sought after surgeon with a clinic day only once a week and judging from the patients waiting to see him, he specializes in the most complex craniofacial cases. It was heartwrenching to see the babies, toddlers, kids and teenagers in the various stages of a myriad of different craniofacial disorders and the parents who care for them. The doctor is well known for his work with children diagnosed with craniosyntosis, or skull deformities, so there were many babies there who had just had or were about to undergo skull surgeries.

We brought with us our medical records from Dr. Noonan and in the waiting room I read through all his notes, reliving the conversations, advice and procedures discussed in the first weeks of Zoe's life. I enjoyed the last entries where Dr. Noonan would effusively describe his joy at her results "Actually looks spectacular" and "Amazing results" were some of his words. He always beamed with pride when he looked at Zoe in her surgical follow up visits. I remember he was especially proud of her nose.

The new Dr. agreed that she did have great surgical results, a "cute little girl" he said in his note recorder, although he said he saw a few things he would want to fix. The puffiness on the afflicted side of her lip, "extra vermillion" is what he called it, he said he would reduce and move over so that the "tip" of her lip is in the center. He saw no need for any additional nose surgeries yet and agreed it looked great.

He also felt that the gap in her aveolar ridge was "significant" enough to possibly effect her speech and, if that was the case, he may recommend surgery to attach it. This proposed surgery would bring together the soft tissue to prevent air escaping through the gap when she spoke (but she would loose the tooth that's growing in the gap). The bone grafting aveolar ridge surgery would still not be scheduled until her adult incisors come in (around 9 or 10 years old) and he is a proponent of a new procedure that injects hormones to grow bone rather than taking a piece from the hip.

Although the Children's Hospital has a 25 person Craniofacial team, he didn't see a reason for us to see them all as most of them would not be relevant to us. He only recommends we have regular visits with a pediatric dentist in our hometown (which we already do). He did want us to see his Speech Pathologist right away to determine the clarity of Zoe's speech. That meant another hour in the waiting room. We finally met with her but she was unable to determine where the air was coming from in Zoe's speech, she did hear air, but didn't think it was coming from her gum line. Zoe refused to open her mouth for her and let her look. So she asked us to come back for a full Speech Pathology analysis in six months.

The doctor wants to see Zoe again in one year and would not recommend another surgery until the summer of 2011, when she is almost five. He wants to see how she grows and thinks some of the extra tissue on her lip will correct itself. Scar tissue grows less rapidly than normal tissue, so having a little bit extra right there may be a good thing.

The only question that remains is this: is this the right care for Zoe? I agonized over choosing her first plastic surgeon, looked at all the celebrity plastic surgeons in New York and finally chose Dr. Noonan because he came highly recommended, he was so sweet and he called me back and had long reassuring phone conversations with me when I was freaking out.

This new guy is in the forefront of craniofacial surgery, leading his field in skull and jaw reconstructions. His patients have severe deformities and he is supposedly amazing BUT, is Zoe's little cleft the right case for him? He spends so much of his time on such complicated surgeries, and putting everything in the right place, is the detail work Zoe needs really his skill?

The good news is we have a couple of years to figure it all out.

First Soccer Game

Not only was it Athena's first soccer game but also our first soccer game as a family and man, we saw some veteran soccer families today who made us feel like total freshmen. One family brought a full on canopy, cooler and chairs for six and then settled in like they were camping.

The game was so much fun but I have no idea who won. I use the word "game" loosely, because its really just a pack of four year old surrounding a little ball and slowly inching it from one side of the field to the other. Every now and then a whistle is blown, seemingly randomly, and the coaches take the ball, move the players around but it becomes a kicking cluster of little people almost immediately again.

And yet, the mother next to me was screaming "Defense! Defense!" I wanted to turn to her and ask if she was watching the same thing I was because the players I saw were kicking the ball into their own goals.

There was only one time that Athena really had the ball. Moments later it was out of her reach and this happened. See the lip?
Not quite tears but a definite sulkiness. She complained to us at the next water break that no one was "letting" her have the ball and when was it going to be her turn? It never did get to be her turn with the ball which led to a disenchantment with the whole thing. She never got back into the pack after that and just hung around the sidelines.

So, Coach made her the goalie!

Which she liked as long as she didn't have to do anything or run anymore. It was hot, she was tired and hadn't had a very good breakfast which I think contributed to her blah attitude. We woke up late so I just gave her a cereal bar and some juice and sent her out the door. I don't think that was enough energy to sustain her the whole game besides getting a little bit bored.

She said she really liked it though and can't wait to do it again.

Zoe took more pictures.

Chris had the most fun and is embracing this dawn of
Saturday morning sports with great enthusiasm.
He's even planning some trips to the park to help
Athena "get her head in the game."

When we got home, the Dude showed us how easy it is
to crawl across the floor, like he's been doing it all along.
It's official - he's mobile!

Photo Palooza

There's a handful of little stories and photos that I've been meaning to post, but since I'm short on time all the time I thought I would just post one hodge-podge update to get caught up and clear my memory cache.
First, Athena started at a new preschool. It's the one walking distance from our house, which happens to be the very best, and which we've been on the waiting list for nearly a year. My twice weekly phone calls and pleading emails to the director finally had an effect. Zoe is still waiting for a space, but Athena now happily goes three days a week, brings her lunchbox and backpack and already has a new best friend named Amelia. She is achingly big and independent these days.

With Athena in school, I spend lots of time with just these two little ones. We are all out of balance and miss our fourth wheel. It is really good to have the Zoe-Mommy time and bonding between Zoe and John Patrick, but I now realize how much of the day was driven by our Alpha child. Without her choosing the activities ("Mommy I want to color now!") and guiding the pretend play ("Zoe you're the Baby and I'm the Mommy!") we are left with a big, empty void.

On one of those long days without Athena, Zoe was put to work on some household chores. She did really well and was extremely focused priming and painting the guest bedroom bedside tables.

But, it gets pretty boring without Athena around. More and more Zoe gets left behind and doesn't get to do what Athena does (school, soccer, birthday parties). I'm finding things for Zoe to do that are just hers alone, but I worry that this new separation will have a negative effect on their close relationship. Mimi and I were raised like one child, growing up we were each others constant companions and always best friends, and I want that for my girls, but they also need to be individuals too, right? In other news, the little Dude can do this now.
Somehow Athena got behind on her shots. Before she started her new school, I had to take her to receive five shots. Zoe and John Patrick came along for the show. As the nurse stuck her five separate times, I held Athena down saying comforting words and trying not to cry myself as she wiggled and sobbed. It was a very dramatic moment. When it was all finished, Zoe, not to be left out, jumped up on the examination table and said "It's my turn now?" A couple of weeks ago, we went to visit Chris' Grandma. Nana spent a few hours loving all over a baby boy who looked very familiar to her. She agrees that he looks exactly like Chris did as a baby - "except cuter". That's got to hurt when you get sold out by your own Grandma.

Meanwhile, Aunt Jessica taught Zoe how to text and update
MySpace mood from a cell phone.

And can someone tell me why my sister takes such great photos with my babies and I have yet to take one with all three that I like? I love this picture, even with all the bedhead. Mimi is now living about an hour and half away, close enough for regular visits and sleepovers.

One morning last week, we set out for school and noticed it was a little bit colder than usual. I said "It looks like summer is almost over." Athena replied, "But, Mommy I still want to go on a picnic." Mimi was coming that weekend so I told that maybe we could do that when Mimi came to visit. Athena thought for a moment and then quietly said "Mimi makes the whole world warm."

Okay, that cleared out a few pictures and stories. There's still more, but this will have to do it for now.

P.S. Happy Birthday Ah Katie!

Soccer Practice

What is more adorable than seven four year olds running around a grassy field with a soccer ball? Eek! Nothing!

Athena had her first practice with her team and she L.O.V.E.'d it. And aside from random spinning, turning around and waving at her Daddy several times, and running off the field once to give me a hug, she stayed pretty focused. Coach Shawn said she is "very fast" and she beamed with pride.

First "game" is on Saturday. Can't wait.

Zoe, however, was beyond bored. Her "Itty Bitty" sports will start next week, same field, same time. Who knows what she'll do at Athena's games, I need to find some kind of activity for her. Watching her sister play is no fun at all.

And the Dude just slept. (photo courtesy of a very bored almost three year old).

Zoe's Super Reward

Today Zoe's received her final potty present which she has been earning stickers for everyday - a much anticipated trip to Build-A-Bear. You may remember her sister's trip just over a year ago? This weekend it was Zoe's turn. We were all curious as to what kind of a special friend Zoe would choose.

Once she saw the purple kitty, it was all over.

Athena checked out her sister's new friend,
but was very good and understood
that this trip was only for Zoe.Picking out the heart.Endless waiting.

Watching her kitty come to life.Checking out her new friend who has

a very punk rock black bow on her tailAthena guided her through the delicate art of brushing
and fluffing her new friend's fur.

And then my camera ran out of batteries. But you know the rest, we picked out an outfit (purple and black dress with black shoes), named her and printed out a birth certificate and "Sally Cat" was born.

Later that day, dressed as "a prince",
she told Grandaddio all about it.

Greekfest

Ope! Even our dusty little California town has a Greek festival hosted by the local Greek Orthodox Church. At Yiayia's kitchen we got our fill of Souvlaki, Spanikopita, Tzatziki and other foods that are spelled with letters that don't exist in the English language. Oh so yummy.

And there was Greek dancing. Ope!

And loukomades, aka "Greek donuts".

And souvlaki, aka "meat on a stick"

And a Dude wearing a tourist tee.

Um, and, Greek snowcones??

Plus a bunch of people named Costos and Demitri and Achilles and Sofia and Athena and Zoe. We felt right at home.

And because there just isn't near enough video on this blog, here is a moment captured..OPE!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Frog Hunting Season Again

After dark, our backyard is lately filled with frogs rustling in the bushes and hopping across the grass. So freshly bathed and dressed in pajamas and sneakers, Daddy and the girls tiptoed out with flashlights to see if they could catch a couple of these creatures.

It is purely a catch, observe, name and then release sport. And, we caught two last night and named them "Pickles" and "Pickles' Sister." We also took their photos for scientific purposes but when they started secreting goo because they were terrified, we let them go. We'll probably catch them again tomorrow.

At our house, even though we are 3/5 girls,
frogs are not icky, but cool.
(but I'm still not going to touch one.)

Even John Patrick got a closer look.

Chris the expert frog handler, has no fear and can bare hand the little buggers.

Half Birthday

Six months old! Six months old! I've had to count the months three times already to make sure I'm right. It seems too quick.

Already half of his babyhood is gone in a snap. I'm excited for this milestone, and applaud his new tricks like near crawling and sitting up unassisted, but I'm very sad as well. It's bittersweet, mixed emotions.

My baby, my last baby, is getting bigger every minute of everyday, with a dizzying, unstoppable forward movement. The sweet, sleepy newborn stage is far behind him and he's becoming a wiggly little Dude trying so hard to be on the move (but not mobile yet).

He's a really great baby. If I had known he would be so much fun and easy I would not have had so much angst about adding a third child into the mix. So far, he is a silent observer to all our antics. Carried from room to room and within reach of the action, but not yet a part of it. He'll be a participant soon. If only he could just reach...that...toy...

A very smart friend of mine once explained her three child family with this analogy: A new baby does not take love away from the other children, but adds love on top, like a layer cake. A three-tiered cake of love stuck together with chocolate frosting. I love that mental image and think we should have cake for dessert tonight to celebrate.

Happy half-birthday little Dude!