Easter weekend

First things first, Will had his 4-year check-up last week. We found out that he's meeting all the developmental milestones and he's a pretty healthy little boy. He's in the 75% for height and still 95% for weight. So I'm firmly convinced that he'll be playing linebacker, in fact I've called the UW coaching staff to find out what sort of weight-lifting regiment we need to get him on and if there are speed drills we should focus on. Oh, who am I kidding. This kid is going to join some traveling band of ultimate fighters or run off to sign up for the world wrestling federation as soon as he's free from our control. Helmet. Check. Double-barreled artillery. In both hands. Check and check. Lasso. Check. Snarl? Definitely check. So the Saturday of Easter Weekend dawned sunny but since it's Wyoming, cold. Winter-jacket-wearing kind of cold. We all ran some errands in the morning and then the kids and I headed to an Easter Egg hunt at the Children's Garden. We arrived at 11:03 and all of the eggs were already snapped up so we just wandered around and played. In our winter coats. I'm a little bitter, can you tell? Mr. Earnest. He's probably trying to convince me that it's snacktime or we need to go to McDonald's or whatever. He can be very beseeching and sincere when he wants to be. It's a little blonde Easter Bunny! Canyon used to have these ears before I had kids. I think Reina enjoys them just a little more than the dog did. We are sitting in a doghouse and it's hysterical! Giggles abound. For those worried about dog germs, this is not an actual doghouse. Well, it is a doghouse but no actual dogs live in it. But it's the perfect place to hide when mom decides that it's time to leave. Just out of arm's reach... and did I mention hysterical? Will made bunny ears at preschool on Friday. I think he wears them with a certain amount of panache, no? He also has a bruise on his nose from bonking himself with the toilet seat. Don't ask. I'm still not sure how that happened. Finally, Easter morning dawned bright and early. Well, not 'bright.' There was an inch or so of the white stuff on the ground. But it was early. One of my favorite traditions on Easter Sunday is to attend the sunrise service. I know, we barely get enough sleep as it is but it's tradition! So we woke up at the crack of dawn, got everybody dressed in the dark and went to church. It was a lovely service and a great way to start a very nice day. Not everyone agreed with the decision. But she sure looked cute in her winter jacket, Easter dress that you can't even see, and snowboots. Happy Easter from Wyoming!!

Comparing Will, Reina and Trigger

Bites people:
Will - Only when provoked at preschool (one-time incident that was clearly self-defense. No really.)
Reina - Not that we know of.
Trigger - Yes. Absolutely. And toys, the sofa, the floor, the floor trim, toys, dolls, books, furniture, cups, plates, his water bowl, legos, grass, blankets, clothing, toothbrushes


Runs everywhere they go:
Will - Usually while in character as a knight, soldier, pirate, good guy, dinosaur, hunter
Reina - Definitely.
Trigger - 95% of the time.


Pretends they don’t understand commands/instructions:
Will - Getting better but still has selective hearing, especially if the answer is not one that he wants to hear.
Reina - See Will’s answer but increase the frequency 10-fold.
Trigger - Gets a blank stare on his face as if he’s meeting you for the first time and has no idea what language you are speaking.


Potty trained:
Will - Yes.
Reina - Somewhat.
Trigger - No.


Sleeps through the night:
Will - Somewhat. If the winds not blowing, stomach not hurting, or weird noise not being made within a 20-mile radius.
Reina - Somewhat. If winds not blowing, ears not hurting, and is snuggled up between mom and dad.
Trigger - Yes. Without a peep. Slightly early riser though.


Current favorite item:
Will - Little tiny Lego men dressed as knights that get lost every 15 minutes.
Reina - Her chupee.
Trigger - Reina’s chupee.


Wake-up time Saturday morning:
Will - 6:30 a.m.
Reina - 6:00 a.m.
Trigger - 5:30 a.m.


When they want to be snuggled:
Will - Only when not feeling well.
Reina - Only to avoid going to bed.
Trigger - After 8:30 p.m. but only if you are trying to type on the computer.

Spring programs and puppy dogs

Yesterday was the annual program and fundraiser for the kids' preschool. The kids usually sing a few songs and then the parents spend a bunch of money on silent and live auction items. This year was a little different in that everything was running on time so the Pauley duo were a little late in getting to the program. They also clearly missed the memo about sweater vests and slacks. I considered it a victory that Will was wearing jeans and not jogging pants, but what can you do. They can both be a little shy and so they started off the program with a healthy dose of skepticism. Reina didn't have her chupee so one whole hand went immediately into her mouth. Will warmed up and started singing and doing all of the appropriately timed hand motions. You can't tell from this shot but he was really getting into it. The boy has some dance moves, let me tell you. On a completely unrelated note, Will has a 4-yr check-up on Thursday and I'm very interested to find out where he is in the height/weight scale these days. His class is full of 3, 4, 5 and 6 year old's so it's hard to compare him to his classmates. I just need to know if we are still thinking linebacker or tight end... or maybe I should stop pinning all my sports dreams on him and let him pursue medieval battle reenactments, or whatever he's going to be interested in. Nah. The only other picture I took of Reina is a little blurry and she maintains her hand-in-the-mouth pose. With her free hand, she did do the hand motions and shake her egg along with the rest of the group. Frankly, I was surprised that she agreed to get on stage. She's usually more inclined to hang out with mom and dad but she's growing up! Speaking of growing up, Trigger has been with us for one whole week! He's starting to settle down and figure out that the entire house is not one giant chew toy. Glenn and I have been taking turns walking him a few times a day and it really seems to take the edge off of his ummm, craziness. The kids are getting more interested in him, especially when he's sleeping. I've keeping a list of things that Will, Reina and Trigger have in common, but that's for the next post. To tide you over, here's a boy and his dog.

Glenn's first text message

Glenn had to get a new phone earlier in the week. His old phone was probably made in 1994 and it was just time to get a new one. He didn't get a smart phone or anything too fancy but it was an upgrade. Glenn was on his way back from a quick work trip to Portland today and tried to call me but I was at a MOPS dinner. Instead of leaving me a voicemail, he decided to try sending his first text message. Here is the transcript, in it's entirety.

Glenn: What's up?

Lucy: Has your phone been stolen?

Glenn: 55j

Lucy: Huh?

Glenn: 5ad6gjm

Soooo, his typing skills need a little work. AND, as it turns out that first line was one of those pre-programmed messages that you can send. Clearly.

Meet Trigger

We have a new addition to the Pauley household. Meet Trigger, a nine week-old Brittany spaniel boy pup. He's cute and snuggly and wild and bite-y. He goes from sleeping quietly on the floor to trying to gnaw off the legs on the kitchen chair in about 30 seconds. So basically, he's a lot like Will and Reina, although in all fairness, I haven't caught them chewing on furniture, lately. Glenn is already hooked. He's hoping that Trigger might be interested in being a bird dog. Will is still a little unsure but he's warming up to the puppy. Both he and Reina don't like the jumpy/bite-y behavior that accompanies puppies but we are teaching them both to say "No Trigger!" and that phrase has replaced the scolding that they usually use on each other. Both kids seem most interested in Trigger when he is fast asleep. On Sunday, the kids and I drove down to Colorado to pick up Trigger. The family we bought him from met us halfway. Trigger's first car ride was eventful in that he threw up several times. Luckily by the time he got in our car, his stomach was empty and he was pretty tired out. All three passengers slept on the way home. We had a great weekend. Glenn was able to go turkey hunting for the first time this season and the kids and I hung out at home and enjoyed some spring-like weather. I took a picture of the first few daffodils blooming in our yard and about 3 minutes after I took the picture I looked up to see Reina marching around the yard with a bunch of daffodil petals in her sticky little hand. Ah well, they were pretty while they lasted.

Tonsils: The Sequel

We found out yesterday that Reina's tonsils need to come out. It's not earth-shattering news but given that I'm still having PTSD flashbacks from November ("Will, drink your juice! Will, mommy needs you to drink some juice and it will make you feel better. I promise! Just one little sip. C'mon Will, try some juice! Okay, let's drink some juice and take your medicine! insert sound of angry screaming 3-yr old here), it was news that I was hoping NOT to here. But, her tonsils are still ginormous, her adenoids are the size of cute little boulders and her oxygen levels dip to not-dangerous-but-not-normal-kid-levels when she's sleeping so out they come. The surgery will be scheduled for sometime in May, and we will all hopefully build up some much needed stamina (and sick leave days) by then.

In other non-medical news, Will's latest incarnation is that of a Roman knight (did the Roman's have knights?). Well, let's make that a time-traveling Roman knight who has a pearl-handed pistol tucked in his pants' pocket. The mardi gras beads are a little incongrous but I am told that those are his "armor." He also has a long sword tucked into the back of his shirt for fighting the bad guys (the Visigoths? My knowledge of military history here is a little weak). I think his scowl gives it a certain level of militaristic authenticity.